The Darkness
by Litl A
Summary: Richard B. Riddick has always been tough, but someone from his past shows up to change it all. Takes place before, during, and after the movie.
1. Asteroid

Pitch Black and its characters do not belong to me...Though I wish Riddick did! Just read and review. 

Chapter One: Asteroid   
  


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Richard B. Riddick was not someone to be taken lightly. He enjoyed the name he made for himself. Riddick. Feared throughout the entire Universe. Wanted everywhere. A psychopathic murderer. One who killed without feeling. Just for fun. 

But right now he was mentally kicking himself in the ass. How could he have been so stupid? Here he was in cryo-sleep on his way back to Slam City. All because of one small stupid mistake. And Johns just happened to be there. 

Johns. The Blue Eyed Devil. Everyone on this piece-of-shit ship was diluted into thinking he was cop. Sure he had that nickel-slick badge and the big twelve gauge, but he was no cop. He was a mercenary. A merc. The devil incarnate sent to take Riddick back to hell. 

Slam City. Not the best place to be sent to if you're a pussy armed robber. No. The Slam was for the psychos. The maniacs that killed for no reason. Riddick had escaped once. Snuck right onto a transport ship, killed the crew and flew away. 

He had been gone for two years. Two years before Johns showed up. Johns found out that he had gotten a shine job done. Caught him by surprise and removed his goggles. Riddick was blinded by the light and Johns made his weak capture. He managed to tie Riddick up pretty tight and they were on this shit-ship the next hour. How could he have been so stupid? 

Cryo-sleep was not fun. Your body slows down almost to the point of shutting down entirely. Sometimes you're aware of your surroundings, sometimes you're not. You stand up the entire time and get jerked around when the road gets a little bumpy. 

_They say that in cryo-sleep your entire body shuts down_, Riddick thought. All but the primitive side, the animal side. No wonder he's still awake. He laughed at the irony. They're transporting him with civilians. Sounds like forty-forty plus. Heard the Arab, some hoo-doo holy man, probably on his way to New Mecca. But what route? What route? Smell the woman, sweat, work boots, tool belt. Prospector type. Free settlers, and they only take the back roads. Now here was his real problem: Mr. Johns. Blue-Eyed Devil. On his way to take him back to the Slam. But this time he chose the Ghost Lanes. Long time between stops, long time for something to go wrong. And the girl was across from him. He couldn't see her, but he knew she's there. She was the one that got him caught - not entirely her fault - and got herself caught in the progress though. 

Again, Riddick laughed at the irony, but he should never had gotten her involved. 

----- 

Fry woke up. Something was wrong. She was waking up too early. She looked around. A hole appeared in the glass of her chamber. Fry looked at the Captain. A rock-like object broke through his glass and lodged itself into his head. 

She hated cryo-sleep. They were on their way to the Taurus Three. A twenty-six week journey. Everyone was put into cryo-sleep, anything could go wrong. And the ship would continue on its course unless someone shut down the autopilot manually. 

Fry pressed a blue switch and a holographic screen came down in front of her eyes. It showed images of each person in the car she was in. Oxygen and sleeping gas levels were unsteady. Everyone was waking up. Including the convict. In fact he was already awake. 

She looked over at his chamber. He definitely was intimidating. The front of his chamber read: LOCKOUT PROTOCAL: NO EARLY RELEASE. His muscular form filled up the chamber leaving little space on either of his sides and he was so tall he had to hang his head so that he could fit. Blind folded and gagged with some kind of a horse bit he stood there. Fry thought she even saw restraints. 

She felt around and found a release lever. Once she pulled it the glass flew open and Carolyn fell to the floor. Seconds later the Nav Pilot, Owens, fell on top of her. 

----- 

_She felt them stirring around her...creatures that meant to do more harm than good._

It played out in her head: darkness, pain, suffering...death. Meera snapped her eyes open and looked around; she was still in her cryo-chamber in the transport ship. Something knocked the ship, jerking her around inside the small pod, jarring her into the wall. She looked around cautiously. She didn't like this at all. Rocks were breaching the hull and hitting into sleeping people. And it did not help that that asshole Johns had her in restraints. Across from her chamber was the other convict. What was his name? Riddick. 

Fury built up inside her. It was all because of him that Johns had caught her. If he'd just let her alone after she helped Jackson out, neither of them would have been there. 

"Fucking trying to be all Billy Bad Ass and shit," she muttered to herself. "Look at you now, Asshole! Got it worse than I did! Fuck you!" Meera yelled through the glass, she hopped Riddick could hear her. 

Her life was just starting to turn around.   
  


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Please review. Chapter 2 will be up shortly. 

~Litl A~ 


	2. Marpost Prime

Chapter Two: Marpost Prime 

Please read on and review.   


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Three weeks earlier on the planet of Marpost Prime: 

Meera whirled around after someone shouted. "Where's Jackson?" she mumbled to herself. Then she saw him. Her ten-year-old brother was in the middle of the lane. 

The night before they had gotten into a fight. So to make it up to him she promised to take him to the market. Which was where they were now. "Hey Jax come here," she called to him, but he wasn't paying any attention. He was staring off in the distance, towards the direction of the scream. 

Meera followed his gaze and saw what everyone else saw. A man, tall, very built, was running from a short man, and the big guy was running towards Jax. She knew his kind: they would use anything to get away; anything or anyone. And it appeared to her that that anyone was going to be Jackson. 

"Jackson move!" she yelled, trying to move through the crowd. Jax looked at her then turned back around. He stared off at the running man. "Jackson, come on!" Meera was getting nervous. Her brother wasn't moving and the big guy wasn't steering off his path. "Fuck!" she said, moving as rapidly as possible through the crowd. If anything happened to him her parents would eat her still-beating heart for dinner. Literally. 

Finally she found the opening she needed. The crowd was starting to part to avoid the man. Still there was no way she would reach her brother before the big man did. Unless... 

There was a large stone up ahead and she took her chances. She ran at the rock, planted one then two feet on it momentarily then sprang into the air, using every ounce of energy she could to surge forward. Her arms hooked around Jax and she tucked her chin against her chest and twisted in midair hoping to land on her back instead of Jax's. Which they did, that was good, but her foot caught the big man's foot, which was bad. 

He was up instantly, but the guy after him was getting to close for him to go anything. Instead, as he ran away he pointed at her. 

She cringed slightly and started as Jax stood up and started to drag her off the ground. "Come on, Meer! We have to go!" She knew he was right, she couldn't deal with being questioned by any type of authority. "So tell me about you fight last night." Jax ordered. Not in an authoritative way, but in an I-live-through-you way. She smiled down at him. Her brother loved the idea of his big sister being in a secret underground fight club. He knew the rules. Kill to win, keep the secret, get paid. 

"What do you wanna know?" she asked, as they walked around a corner. 

"How'd you kill that bastard?" 

"I snapped his neck. And watch your mouth," she told him. 

The sun was shining brightly that day, so there were no dark alleys. Normally, they would take the long way home, but to avoid questions she decided to take a detour and just as they started into the closest alley the big guy showed up. He was tall, looming over them in a most intimidating manner. Meera, who was seventeen, stood at five foot eleven and a half inches and the big guy towered over her. She could see herself in his mirrored goggles. He was trying to scare her, but the only thing she feared was for Jackson's safety. 

As quickly, yet non-threateningly, as possible she pushed Jax behind her. She sized up the man and let out a soft laugh. They had the same taste in clothes: light baggy pants, tank top, and combat boots. Military style. Except she was the only one wearing military clothes: jungle camouflage pants and tan tank plus she had a black loose fitting vest over her tank and dog tags. 

He started taking steps toward her. She turned her head slightly, keeping her eyes locked on the big guy. "Jax, get outta here," she said, looking over her shoulder. 

"No way, Meer," he argued. "I'm not leavin you by yourself." 

"Just get...the fuck...outta here!" That was all he needed. Jax left the alley and ran the other way, never looking. 

Big guy stopped a few paces in front of her, and just stood there staring at her. Again trying to scare her, but it didn't work. She hadn't feared anything in a long time. "You tripped me," he said finally. His voice was deep and gravely. 

"If I remember correctly, you were about to use my brother as an escape," she shot back. 

----- 

Riddick laughed to himself. The girl had spunk. She kept her distance, a smart move, he mused. He stared at her through his goggles taking in her long shock white hair with pink streaks that once was black due to her roots, and her entirely emerald eyes that contained neither black nor white areas. She was a Peacekeeper female and he laughed at the thought. 

Peacekeepers were humans that left Earth two thousand years ago, after the planet had gone into another World War and technology was taking over. They were so attuned with the Source of All Things, a power far greater than any living thing could possibly even begin to fathom, and they had dedicated their lives to keeping the peace and unity throughout. Millions of people left the planet and scattered throughout the Universe. Most of them started a colony on Marpost Prime, where angry desert clans had slaughtered most of them. Only four hundred families survived and spread out across the planet. Now they numbered less than a hundred clans. 

Still, most families were peaceful after all that their people were put through. But, the most recent generation of Peacekeepers had decided they weren't going to lie down and take the hurt any longer. Riddick smiled. He was a Peacekeeper. 

Finally after a few seconds he smiled broadly. "I can use you." 

"Excuse me?" she asked him. 

"How old are you? Seventeen? Eighteen? I could use you to get off this Rock." 

"Seventeen. And you're not fuckin' usin' me for shit." 

Riddick felt his face come as close to looking surprised as he let anyone see: only his eyebrows raised. Then he threw his head back and laughed; just as he brought his head forward a hand snaked out from a darkened doorway and grabbed the goggles off his head. That was the problem with the goggles, could only see on way. Straight-ahead. 

As soon as the light touched his eyes he fell to the ground in pain. He heard what sounded like a baton open and he knew the Bounty Hunter, Wallace, had found him. The first blow came, then the second, followed by a rain of baton hits and kicks to the stomach, ribs, or head. He gave up and stopped fighting back. Not because he couldn't fight, but because he couldn't see without his goggles, not in the light. So instead, he just laid still while Wallace continued to beat him mercilessly. 

"Hey, stop! Fight fair! Christ!" The girl's voice broke through the pain and the blows stopped. He silently blessed her, but at the same time was berating her in his head. She obviously wasn't aware of what mercs did: no matter how old the person was, get in their way and get X'ed out. 

"What are you doing, kid?" Riddick croaked, climbing to his knees. 

"What!" Wallace snapped, in the next second. 

----- 

Meera ignored the big guys' question, because truthfully, she did not know what she was doing. But the guy was beating him senseless and Big was at a disadvantage. She glanced back and forth at each face, unsure of what to do. Her mind was made up as the guy took a step towards her. He was dressed in regular clothes and had a pin on the breast pocket of his shirt. 

"Ah, shit," she muttered louder than she expected herself to. He was wearing a badge. But was also wearing civvies, or civilian clothing. Which meant he was one thing: a merc. A smile spread across her face. "Hey, I don't want any trouble," she told him innocently. 

The merc took another step towards her. "Then you should have never opened your trap." 

"I'm realizing this _too_ late," she muttered. 

"What are you doin' kid?" the big guy asked again, continuing to climb on all fours. 

The merc turned to him and kicked his stomach. "Shut it, Riddick!" He ordered as the guy fell back to the ground. "Now, I'm gonna teach you to mind your own business girl." 

"My lesson's learned," she told him. Knowing that the statement would not steer the merc away she looked at Riddick. Again the merc took a step toward her. Her gaze dropped to his baton, then rested on his eyes, they were a cold gray color. She kept her eyes locked on him, anticipating his next move. The merc lashed out with his baton she sidestepped around it. He lashed out again, which she grabbed and yanked the baton from his grasp. The merc punched her in the face. "Son of a-" 

"Leave her alone, Wallace. You got me." Riddick interrupted her. She wiped a single drop of blood from her nose and stiffened, listening to the conversation. 

"Thought I told you to shut it, Riddick," Wallace said. Catching her off guard, he put his left arm around her neck and held his forearm with his right hand. Then he swung them around so they were facing Riddick. "You always did have a soft spot for kids, didn't ya? Heard you were lookin' for one in particula'. Well, you can watch this one die slowly." 

She rolled her eyes. "Oh please. I may be a girl, but I ain't fuckin' helpless." Meera elbowed him in the solar plexus and stomped on the instep of his right foot. She threw her elbow into his nose, hearing it crack and followed by elbowing him in his groin. As he doubled over she jumped out of his reach. 

That's when she saw them: Riddick's goggles were hooked onto Wallace's belt. Maybe if she got his goggles to him, he'd take care of the merc and she could leave. Wallace tackled her when she reached for the goggles. As he proceeded to strangle her she took a deep breath. 

"Guess what, asshole," she said. 

"What?" he asked, not loosening his grip. Instead, she felt a wave of nausea hit her as he tightened his hands around her neck. 

Meera grinned cockily. "I don't need to breathe," she forced out. The merc blinked in confusion and his grip faltered just a fraction and that was all she needed. She reached up and snapped his neck. He let go of her neck and fell forward on top of her. She began to cough as the air rushed back into her lungs. Of course she needed to breathe, what living creature didn't? She felt around and found Riddick's goggles. After unclipping them, she threw them at him. 

----- 

"I believe these belong to you." The girl said as he caught his goggles. Riddick watched her push Wallace's body away, stood up, and dusted herself off. The girl could handle herself. She stuck out her hand. " Meera McKenzie. And you are?" 

"Richard B. Riddick," he told her shaking her hand. She was definitely a fighter, he knew as soon as he felt her firm grasp. 

"Ok." Meera started to walk around him. As she passed he saw Johns standing at the mouth of the alley. He turned and looked at her retreating figure, trying to figure out what to do. 

Usually he wouldn't do this to a kid, but he didn't need another murder charge, and he wanted to test her. "Nice job," he called out to her. "On Wallace, I mean. Clean break." The pun was intended. 

She didn't look at him and instead she just shrugged her shoulders. "It was either him or me, and it wasn't going to be me." 

"Meera McKenzie, you are under arrest for murder," Johns's voice boomed. Obviously he heard their introduction. 

Meera, a few paces ahead, turned around her eyes wide, so Riddick did the same his face a mask of faux shock. "You can't arrest me, you aint a cop!" she yelled down to Johns. The girl had spunk. 

"Call it citizens arrest," John retorted. 

"Fuck you." _Nope not spunk_, she had a shit load of balls. 

"Oh really?" Johns asked, pulling out a long-range pulse blaster. 

"Ah, shit!" She said and groaned. As Johns cocked his blaster, the pair broke out into a run. She threw herself into a wooden door that caved from the pressure and Riddick followed her inside. He didn't know where he was going, but she seemed to so he stuck close to her. They made their way to the roof. "How good are you at jumping?" she asked, indicating the building across the alley. 

"Pretty good," he said with a shrug. 

"Good." She jogged over to the opposite end of the roof. Riddick watched her as she took off, gaining speed with each step, then jumped. Meera landed on the next building and Riddick followed shortly. Jumping ran in the family, not that he could ask his parents, considering he killed them. 

----- 

"How many mercs are following you?" she asked Big. _He said his name was Richard_, she told herself. 

He followed her out of the building and into an alley two blocks over from the one they were originally started in. Richard shrugged his shoulders and said: "They were the only two that I know of. They were working as a team." 

"That's unusual." Meera frowned, she had never experienced anything like two mercs trying to kill her. "Never heard of mercs working together." 

"I'm a special case." 

She rolled her eyes and answered sarcastically, "You must be very proud of yourself. Air docks are that way," she said, meaning the launching pads for space ships. She pointed to her left and started to the right. "Enjoy your life." 

Richard walked up to her and continued in the same direction. "I said I would use you to get off this rock." 

"You said "could." And if I remember correctly, I said "you're not fuckin' usin' me for shit"." She rolled her eyes and continued walking, tryin to ignore the man. 

----- 

Riddick was starting to like this kid. Not in a sexual way, but just in a she-could-be-good-company way. He decided to change the subject. "So where'd you learn to kill?" 

"Fight club," she said quietly, after a few seconds. 

"Ah, so you've done it before?" 

"Yeah. Why are you following me?" 

"I told you, I-" 

"Don't want to hear it," she silenced him. Riddick looked ahead of them for a second and when he turned back, she was gone. 

"Ah, shit!" 

----- 

Meera jumped out of the speeder and looked cautiously around her. The fact that she had taken the speeder, and used it to get away, gave her a good head start on Riddick, ensuring that he would have one hell of a hard time trying to find her. She knew that name; she had heard it on the news. He was a murderer, one of her own kind: a Peacekeeper. The irony of their name: 

Peacekeepers. Once synonymous with peace, now their most recent offspring were the most feared people on Marpost Prime. 

_Once upon a time_, her parents had told her, long before their murder. _There was a race of peaceful people. They were called Peacekeepers. The Peacekeepers traveled around their planet and solar system, keeping the peace between the worlds. They used the Source to aid them in their trials - hard times that their people were forced to suffer. For centuries since the Peacekeepers began - in the sixteenth century, A.D. - they kept the balance between the races that humans did not believe existed._

_They lived in a galaxy not far from here. Their planet was flourishing - thriving - more beautiful than words could begin to describe. Earth. But then technology came to man. He created computers, and robots, and other amazing things that the mind could only dream of, but they became lazy. They relied on machines to do their biddings._

She ran a hand through her hair and walked over to the side of the building, which contained her foster family's apartment, and started climbing. Walking through the front door would be an open invitation for ridicule from her parents. Instead, she started up the wall, using holes that not many people could see. 

_The machines began to think for themselves, for man had given them a mind of their own, and they used that gift against man. A great World War broke out around the twenty second century, A.D. And the Peacekeepers were in an outrage. They kept their promise - to uphold peace - and tried to negotiate for each country, but with time their cause seemed to fail._

_Giving up, the people decided to leave Earth and find a better planet to live on. Those Peacekeepers that did not live on Earth, stayed on their planets and hoped that their people could form new alliances with different galaxies - galaxies that the Earth Peacekeepers traveled to. Millions of Peacekeepers left Earth and scattered throughout the Universe._

_Many settled on Marpost Prime and began to build their new colony. But the natives would not allow that, they slaughtered most of the Peacekeepers that tried to make a new life, and enslaved the rest. They were treated as less then human, but they remained a peaceful people._

Up above her, her bedroom window was closed, and she sensed that it was locked. Stopping where she was on the wall, she closed her eyes and focused. Meera immersed herself into the Source and sought out the lock. Finding it's energy, she opened the lock and the window. Looking up the window was now open and ready for her to climb into. 

_"Our people," her mother - in her head - continued the story, "spent the last two centuries studying their heritage, learning where they came from." Her mother moved her hand and a candlestick floated in the air. "Twenty years ago, our people were set free, we have re-established contact with the others on different planets. We relearned how to use the Source, understand how it works, and appreciate everything that is connected to it." Her mother's mouth formed a wicked smile. "We will exact our revenge on those who enslaved our people."_

_Four-year-old Meera memorized the face of her mother's former master. She came to hate that face, loath it. She would live to see that man dead. "He will not hurt you again, mommy," she told the woman next to her._

_"I know, my darling. They will never hurt us again."_

Meera climbed in her bedroom window and ran to her closest, tearing off her vest throwing it to the floor. Then she opened the closet door and pulled out a heavy metal box. It contained a shoulder holster - the ones that cops wear so they can conceal their weapons under their jackets - a belt and two holsters - to go around her waist - two thigh holsters and two ankle holsters. She put each of them on. 

Then she reached back in and pulled out the ten blasters that occupied each holster. They were not exactly in their best condition, but would serve their purpose well enough. Riddick would be looking for her, and - she had a gut feeling - he would be there soon. The Source was strong around him. She placed each blaster in a holster and saved the last two for the back of her waistline. Then she slipped her vest back on. 

Riddick was going to go looking for her. This time she'd be prepared. 

----- 

Riddick watched the girl as she started packing her blasters. She had balls, the girl was practically a desperado. As she walked to her bedroom door, he snuck in and sat on her bed. Meera opened her door and he cleared his throat. She jumped slightly and turned to face him with a blaster in each hand. 

"What the fuck are you doing here?" 

"I told you that already," he said, walking towards her. 

For each step he took toward her she took one back and down the hall. "Christ! Just leave me the fuck alone." She said as they walked towards the living room. 

He smiled at her, knowing it was not fear that made her back away from him, it was the shock that he had found her. The smile fell from his face when he realized that something was not right, there was something in the air that gave him that feeling. He had spent so much time in the dark and on the run, he knew to trust his instincts, they had saved his life a number of times. 

Without thinking about it, he surged forward to stop Meera before she entered the living room, but she quickly skirted out of reach. She was only moving to protect herself, but she would only be hurting herself if she did not come with him. With a growl of frustration, Riddick started to say something, but stopped, his mouth hanging slightly open. 

"Just the two people I wanted to see," Johns said. Before Riddick could do anything his goggles were off and he was on the ground. 

----- 

Meera started at the sound of the voice, she whirled around, keeping one blaster locked on Riddick, pointing the other one at the merc's chest. To her surprise, she saw Jackson standing in front of the man, trying to get out of his grasp. When she realized that Riddick was on the ground again, she turned completely around, leveling both blasters at the bounty hunter, ignoring the man that had taken Riddick down. 

"Uh-uh-uh," the merc said. He was holding Jackson at an arms distance in front of him. "Why don't you be a good girl and put those there blasters in this here box?" She did as she was told and smiled softly at the kid she had come to think of as her brother. "Ho-_ly_ shit, girl. What is your deal?" he asked, handcuffing her after she had emptied all the blasters into the box.   


* * *

Please review. Chapter 3 will be up shortly. 

Thanx. 

~ Litl A ~ 


	3. The Crash

Chapter Three: The Crash 

Ladies and Gentlemen: 

Chapter three is now yours to read _and_ review. Enjoy   


* * *

Riddick watched from the rafters as Johns walked over to his gun. Just a few more steps, just a few more. _Now!_ He told himself. He dropped his chain-clad feet down and wrapped them around the merc's neck. 

Johns reached into his thigh holster and pulled out his baton, and began to take whacks at Riddick's thigh. Riddick wanted to laugh, the blows felt like love taps. But this was a serious matter; more serious was the fact that the bar that he was holding onto was about to break. He heard the metal groan and he grunted softly, knowing what was to come. The rafter broke with a scream and pain rushed through his body as he fell full force onto a fallen air duct, then to the solid-steel floor. 

"Someone's gunna get hurt here one of these days, an' it ain't gonna be me." Johns smiled, and the next thing Riddick knew a blaster was jammed under his chin. "Up, slowly." Riddick complied peacefully, biding his time, sizing up the opposition. 

------ 

Fry's eyes snapped open and she ran her hands over her body, checking for injuries, finding none. She heaved a sigh of relief and hit the switch to release her safety harnesses, then she pushed the heavy metal chair off herself and began digging the rest of her body out of the sand. She coughed as the dry air entered her lungs, and closed her eyes against the hot sun. 

Suddenly, she remembered Owens and ran quickly into the ship. In the main cabin, she began pushing objects out of her way, and finally found Owens still strapped in his chair with a rod sticking out of his chest. Dead. 

"Owens, I'm so sorry," she whispered, taking his head into her lap. 

"Get it outta me! Get it out!" Fry nearly jumped out of her skin when he shouted. Then she looked around quickly to survey her surroundings, a group of survivors started to show up and watch Owens squirm in pain. "Get it! Get it outta me!" Fry moved to take the rod out. "Don't touch it! Don't you touch it!" She withdrew her hands, trying not to panic. 

As Owens's screams grew louder, a man with a thick Old-Australian accent shouted out: "Take it outta him!" 

"No, don't, it's too close to his heart," a woman with the same accent told her. 

"Don't you touch that handle, Fry! Don't touch the handle." 

Fry tried to block out Owens's screams. Instead of listening to him, she turned to the survivors. "There's some manestaphine in the med lock at the end of the cabin," she barked out. 

A scrawny looking old man looked at the back of the cabin, "Not no more. There's not." 

"Get outta here. Everyone. Get out," she told the group, shutting her eyes, not watching anyone leave. 

------ 

Meera took a deep breath, shook her head clear and opened her eyes. She was still in her cryo-tube. When the ship crashed her head was slammed into the glass door of her tube, thus knocking her unconscious. But now she was awake. 

She felt blood trickling down her wrist and onto her fingertips, dripping to the floor of her tube. Her restraints tightened around her wrist as she strained to assess her damage, drawing more blood. She felt something wet ran down her face and she closed her eyes against the pain, willing herself to no longer feel it. When the pain was gone she opened her eyes slowly and found herself looking into the eyes of a black haired woman. The woman smiled warmly. 

"You all right, love?" She asked over the intercom. Meera only nodded because she couldn't reach the COM with her hand. "Just hold tight, we'll get you out in just two clicks." Seconds later, she fell out of her tube and into the arms of a strange man. 

"Cripes, are you all right?" he asked her, his thick accent floating around her. She felt one lung short and rasped for air. 

"I'm Shazza, love, an this here is Zeke. What's your name?" The woman who had gotten her out spoke. 

"Meera." She choked out, standing out of Zeke's arms. "Thank you." 

"How's about we take off those cuffs?" Zeke asked. 

Meera smiled; she was starting to like these two. "That would be very nice." 

"Hands off my prisoner." She heard Johns say as Zeke moved to remove the restraints. Zeke and Shazza stepped away from her, and she smiled wickedly at Johns. His reaction to the look: a punch to her jaw, hitting a soar spot from a previous fight. Next he punched her in the stomach bringing her down to a knee. "What is it with you and Riddick? Always gotta make trouble." 

She turned her head to the side and spat blood. "Don't compare me to Riddick. I'm nothing like him." 

"Up," Johns commanded, and she did as she was told. 

------ 

Riddick heard Johns shuffle over by him and smelt the air; the girl was with him. Meera said something he couldn't understand and he heard flesh connecting with flesh. Anger flared up inside him as she choked and spat as Johns cuffed her around another beam and left. 

The fact that any action in an unkind manner toward Meera angered him, surprised Riddick. He was supposed to be a cold-hearted bastard, not some protective lug. 

She coughed again causing Riddick to look up and see her chained with her back to him, two beams ahead. He thought for a second then looked at the beam that he was tied to. If he stood up straight there would be a breach in the beam an arms distance above his head. 

Riddick stood up and stretched, flexing his arms experimentally. He soon began to raise his hands behind his back, running the chains along the beam and when his arms were neck high he dislocated his shoulders. Mind and body screaming in pain, he brought his arms over his head with a grunt, biting down on the horse bit as he popped his shoulders back into place. As he fell to the ground he grabbed the cutting torch that hung within his grasp and on the cold steel floor he went to work on his chains. 

When he was done, Riddick moved to work on Meera's chains. "What the fuck are you doing, Riddick?" she asked quietly. What's wrong with her? Here he was getting her out of the chains and she was getting nasty with him. 

"I'm getting you outta here," he snapped at her gruffly. 

"O.K." she said quickly. As he went to work on the cuffs someone started walking towards them. Her head snapped towards the footsteps, but still he kept working. "Shit! Riddick stop!" she snapped quietly. 

"What?" He stopped working for a second and knelt in front of her. 

"Go! Someone's coming!" she barked at him. 

"I got you into this, I'm not leaving you." 

Through his goggles her saw her roll her eyes. "Please. I can take care of myself. You, on the other hand, have a weakness." In one swift movement she moved from being on her knees to resting on the balls of her feet. "Now go!" she said, as she jumped up and kicked him in the chest. Riddick sailed through the air and slammed against the wall. Who knew the girl had such strong legs? He started towards her. 

"Listen, kid-" Footsteps coming closer cut him off. Tossing one more look at her, he took off through a breach in the wall. 

------ 

"Where's Riddick?" Johns pulled Meera to her feet as soon as he walked in and noticed Riddick was gone. She shrugged her shoulders in response and smiled smugly. He obviously wasn't satisfied with that answer. Her face slammed against the support beam from the force of his punch, her cheek split open and she sighed; that was going to hurt in the morning. "I asked you a question, now answer it!" She laughed at him and received a punched her in the stomach. She doubled over and spat out blood. What was it with mercs and hitting people when they were down? Johns hefted her back up straight and she coughed from the pain. 

"How the hell should _I_ know?" she croaked. 

"Bullshit!" he said, punching her in the stomach again. "You think I don't know about you two?" Johns asked as her slammed her head against the beam. 

Meera took a deep breath and frowned. "What are you talking about?" 

"Oh, please, I caught the both of you _together_ in _your_ house and in the alley," Johns told her. 

"Which reminds me. Why the hell did you arrest me?" she asked, while trying to breathe. She grinned devilishly at him. "Besides for killing your partner." 

Johns backhanded her, sending her other cheek into the beam. "You are also wanted on suspicion of murder and participation in an illegal organization," he spat at her, through clenched teeth. 

She took in a deep breath. "Uh-huh. So what? Was Wallace, like, you butt buddy or something?" Meera was answered with another backhand, followed by a punch to the stomach and another to the jaw. 

"Jesus Christ, Johns! You made your point." A female's voice broke through and the blows stopped and Meera fell to the floor gasping for air. _You deserved that one, genius,_ she told herself. 

------ 

Fry had watched Johns pick up Riddick's horse bit in the direction of sunset. After that, she had pulled everyone in the ship and ordered them around. "Ok, listen up. We need water, weapons, and food, in that order. Go through your lockers and bring whatever supplies to the Nav Bay. We all meet back here in exactly sixty tics," she remembered ordering. 

Now here they were, a disorganized group trying to become organized. For all the people traveling to other planets she was surprised at how little food there was. Shazza and Zeke had plenty of tools, pickaxes, digging tool, and hunting boomerangs. Johns was packed a little more practically, pistol, baton, and a shotgun, as well as a knife. Paris, who seemed to be the only one who thought to bring food: liquor, caviar, olives, and smoked oysters, had also bought a collection of antique weapons. 

"What the hell are all these?" Fry asked, watching Paris walk by, arms full of weapons that looked as if they would break at any time. 

"Marata crow-bill war picks from Northern India," he told her proudly. "Very rare." 

Zeke pointed to a long, carved wood tube: "An' this?" 

"Blow-dart hunting stick from Papua New Guinea. Extremely rare, considering the tribe is extinct." 

"Cuz they couldn't hunt shit with these thing be my guess." 

"Well, what's with the need for the war party hardware, anyway?" Paris asked no one in particular. "If that man's gone, he's gone. Why should he bother with us?" 

Johns finished checking his weapons and turned around. "Maybe to take what you got. Maybe to work your nerves. Or maybe he'll come back just to skull-fuck us in our sleep," he told them all in a menacing tone. 

"Sounds like a charmer," Shazza said to herself. 

After a few minutes, everyone was outside looking into the desert. Paris came running back, breathing heavily and leaned against his war ax. "I thought you'd like to see this," he said to Fry. She looked passed him and saw a blue sun rising. Fry turned and looked passed the little boy Jack, to see two setting suns. 

"Three suns?" the little boy asked her. 

"So much for your nightfall," Zeke told Fry. 

"So much from my cocktail hour," Paris whined to himself. 

Imam, a Muslim priest, stood next to Paris and smiled knowingly at his boys. "We take this as a good sign. A path: a direction from Allah." No one made any sign of understanding and Imam sighed patiently. "Blue sun, blue water." 

"Ever wonder why I'm an atheist?" Zeke shook his head. 

Johns also shook his head and looked towards the rising blue sun. "I take this as a bad sigh: that's Riddick's direction." 

Fry's brow furrowed. "I thought you found his restraints over there, towards sunset." Johns laughed to himself. _What? Does he think I know everything? I'm not the fucking captain or anything!_ she shouted in her head. 

"Right. Which means he went towards sunrise," he told her. _Well, I guess he knows Riddick best._ Johns undid the holster on his pistol and handed it to Zeke. "Safety zone. One shot if you spot him." 

"Ah, crikey, you're going off too?" Zeke asked him. 

"And if Mister Riddick happens to spot us?" Paris asked. 

"There will be no shots." Johns smiled at him. 

------ 

Riddick heard them coming before he saw them: the little kids playing with the ribs, but he wouldn't take their oxygen. Though he needed it, he would never hurt a kid. 

He gently dropped from the crevice inside the large rib cage onto the sand, and made his way towards Fry, who had just sat against the bones. She took the last two hits from her breather, and then switched to her second oxygen canister. Now, he would do it now. Riddick had no qualms with killing women. Key word being women, no girls. Which was mostly why he kept Meera alive, because she was only seventeen. But Fry- 

He moved in for the kill, but stopped when he heard more footsteps. _Damned Johns!_ he thought furiously. Riddick moved a step back. He gripped his newly carved bone-shiv. 

"Care for a taste?" Johns asked her, reaching out with a bottle of scotch. The liquor wafted to his nose and he stepped closer to the scent. The smell brought back memories of his childhood that he pushed immediately back into the past. 

She accepted the bottle. "Probably shouldn't do this. Dehydrates you even more." 

"Probably right." Then they started to talk; the talked about the most boring things he could ever imagine sitting through. _How can you sit through this bullshit, Carolyn?_ he asked her mentally. _Wait! Did she just say she tried to kill us all in our sleep? That sly devil, I can't believe he got that out of her!_ "I guess I'm a lit'l more glad to be hear than I thought," Johns said before they left. 

Then he was running back to the ship, he could always find another breather there. He stood above a hole and someone was inside. He moved in for the kill. Gun shots sounded, and suddenly, the woman was there. Riddick thought twice about killing her, but turned and ran in the opposite direction. 

Johns came out from behind a termite hill-like thing, catching him off guard. _Damn goggles!_ "Son of a bitch!" Johns said while hitting him. 

More blows came from someone else. "What'd you do to 'im! What'd you do to Zeke!" the woman shouted. 

"Shazza!" Fry said, holding her back. 

"Just somebody kill 'im. Somebody Goddamn kill 'im before he can-" that was the last thing her heard. And a boot hitting his temple was the last thing he felt before the bliss of unconsciousness came and whisked him away. 

------ 

Meera watched them drag Riddick back into the ship, a nasty bruise starting to show on his head. _Ouch that's gotta hurt_, she thought. Then she thought of all her own cuts and winced. The drugs were kicking in and everything would be gone in a few hours, she'd still hurt like hell, but you'd never know she was hit. 

Those were some of the perks of being a Peacekeeper; the body naturally erases all signs of injury. A cut would disappear in a matter of seconds, a broken bone would heal in a few hours pending the severity. Granted, everything would heal and disappear, but the pain didn't just vanish. No, it was left as a reminder not to make the same mistake twice, and the pain could last for days on end. But she, she was special, she could make the pain go away for a while, just by willing it away. Unfortunately, the second she woke up, or the second she was hit, everything came rushing back to her. 

Like now: she had been falling asleep - which was terribly uncomfortable considering that each time she would doze off, she'd lean forward pushing her restraints to their limits against the beam - when Johns walked in. The pain ripping through her body was multiplied by a thousand thanks to the beating she had received earlier. Meera took a deep, calming breath and began to will the pain away. 

"Riddick!" she whispered, after the pain had lessened considerably. "Riddick!" He was sitting on a box, arms chained straight out and eyes tightly closed. The chains ran from his hands to the wall connecting behind his head. "Riddick!" she tried one more time. Obviously he was either out cold, or he didn't want to talk. 

"You aight, kid?" He asked after few seconds, scaring the hell out of her. 

"Christ!" she said, under her breath. "I'm bleeding and you?" 

"Been better. Bleeding? From what?" Though he tried to whisper it impassively, Meera heard the edge in his voice. 

"I decided to throw myself into a doorknob a couple hundred times," she croaked, keeping her voice light. 

"Doorknob?" she heard him question, softly. "Someone's coming!" Meera looked up to see Her. Her savior. The one who stopped Johns from killing her. 

"So where's the body?" The woman asked, but no one answered. "Well do you wanna tell me about the sounds?" she asked. "Look you Johns you heard sounds." Meera looked over at Riddick who said nothing. "That's fine, you don't want to talk to me, that's your choice. But _just_ so you know, there's a debate right now, as to whether we should just leave you here." With a slight shake of her head she turned to leave. 

"You mean the whispers?" His question stopped her dead. 

"What whispers?" The woman managed in a hoarse whisper. 

"The ones telling me to go for the sweet spot." His voice sounded like he was reminiscing. "Just left of the spine, fourth lumbar down. The abdominal aorta." Meera bit back a laugh; he was playing with the woman's mind and she found it funny. "Metallic taste to it, human blood, copperish. But if you cut it with peppermint schnapps that goes away." 

"Do you wanna shock me with the truth now?" Fry retorted. _Gutsy_, Meera thought. The way Riddick acted when she talked to him like that showed that not many people had guts around him. 

"All you people are so scared of me. Usually, I'd take that as a compliment." Meera could tell he was saying the truth. "But it ain't me you gotta worry about now." 

"Show me your eyes, Riddick." Meera could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. 

------ 

"So fucking stupid!" Fry shouted. Riddick had told her to look deeper and what did she do? She looks deeper, almost getting herself killed. "I don't know what the fuck is in there. But whatever it is it got Zeke and in nearly got me-" Her rant was elongated by a pulling on her rope and she flew back into the termite hill. Johns and Imam battled against whatever was pulling on her. "Get it off me! Get it off me!" 

"Cut it," Imam ordered. Johns pulled out his knife and cut her rope. Once the pulling stopped Fry was thrown forward. It took all her self-control not to kiss the sand. _That was so fucking stupid! And Riddick knew it- whatever it is- was down there. That fucker set me up! He almost got me killed!_ she thought furiously. He was playing with her mind. 

------ 

"Finally found something worse than me." It wasn't a question; it was a statement. Riddick sat on the crate, his arms straight out to his sides, eyes directed away from the light. 

"So here's the deal, you work without chains, without bit, without shivs. You do what I say, when I say it-" 

"For what? The honor of going back to some asshole of a cell? Fuck you!" He interrupted Johns. 

"The truth is...is I'm tired of chasing you around." 

His eyes snapped open and he looked up, his eyes adjusting to the momentary brightness. "You saying you'd cut me loose?" 

"I'm thinking you coulda died in the crash," Johns said. 

"My recommendation? Do me," Riddick told him darkly. "Don't take the chances I'll go shiv-happy on your wanna-be ass." 

"Ok." 

"Ghost me motherfucker, that's what I'd do to you." 

Johns said microseconds before he pulled out his shotgun and pulled the trigger. The bullet shattered the chains and Riddick's arms were free. 

"I want you to remember this moment. The way it coulda gone, but didn't." He held out Riddick's goggles. "Here." 

Riddick eyed the goggles, reaching out for them with his right hand and grabbing the shotgun with his left. "The girl's out too," he said, pointing the gauge to Johns's chest. 

Johns nodded furiously and Riddick thought the man was about to piss his pants. "Do we have a deal?" Johns asked weakly. 

"Want you to remember this moment," Riddick said, mockingly. He emptied he shotgun, grabbed his goggles, and walked over to Meera. They both looked at Johns expectantly. Slowly, he made his way over to them, shoving a shaking hand into his pocket and pulling out a single key. The merc undid one handcuff and looked at the girl in shock. 

"What the fu..." His brow furrowed and he brought her hand up for closer inspection. 

"Careful, Johns," Riddick warned. "She could be pretty vicious." 

"I fucking wailed the shit outta you, girl," he drawled in his Southern accent, dropping her wrist and roughly grabbing her chin, forcing her to look at him. Riddick got ready to attack him if he was going to be boasting. "Where in the Hell'd all those cut and bruises go?" 

She grinned wickedly at the merc, and Riddick watched as her eyes flashed a deeper green for a second. "I'm a fucking God," she whispered, secretly. He watched as Johns undid the other cuff and left the ship in a huff. When he was out of earshot, the girl began to laugh softly. 

"I have to admit it. That was a good one." 

She nodded in agreement. "Got him thinking."   


* * *

Chapter 4 will be up faster than this chapter, so sorry about the wait. 

Please review. 

Thanx. 

~ Litl A ~ 


	4. Dancing On Razor Blades

Chapter 4 

* * *

"So just like that?" Shazza asked Johns, and Fry rolled her eyes. "Click your fingers and they're one of us?" Everyone knew of whom she was speaking. Personally, Fry thought that she whined too much. Sure, Riddick was a killer, a psychopath, cruel and merciless. That actually seemed like reason enough to be upset, but he didn't kill Zeke. And that was Shazza's only problem with Riddick. Currently no one seemed to have a problem with Meera except Johns.

"Didn't say that. At least now I don't have to worry 'bout one a y'all fallin asleep an' never wakin' up." The cop explained in his Southern accent. It seemed reasonable enough. 

That kid, the boy Jack, walked up to the three of them. "So can I talk to him, now?" 

"No," Fry, Johns, and Shazza said in perfect unison. 

----- 

Meera's voice broke through Riddick's thoughts. "Where are we going?" 

"Don't know. Just following the train," he told her; he was getting used to having her around. Ahead of them, the short, chubby, old man dropped a bottle full of liquor. "'Scuse me a sec, kid," he said walking ahead. He pulled at the power cell behind him, silently groaning. It was him who got stuck pulling the damned thing to the settlement. He had to deal with a thirty-kilo anchor and no breather, so that he was about to drop dead. 

"Sure thing, bro." On the outside he stayed stoic, on the inside he was smiling. She had become accustomed to calling him "bro." He just hoped that when the truth was revealed, she'd still feel at least somewhat connected to him. Riddick walked over and picked up the bottle. "You go, boy," he heard her say as she walked over to him and the man. 

"Paris P. Ogilvie. Antiquities dealer, entrepreneur," the man said, nervously sticking out his hand. 

He shook it firmly, enjoying the pain that crossed the man's face. "Richard B. Riddick. Escaped convict, murderer." Meera snickered behind him. 

"That's a particularly good Sharraz, lovely drop, very expensive. By all means please." Paris's voice slowly faded away as Riddick took a nice long drink of the wine, savoring the flavor. When he was finished he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and passed the bottle over to the kid. Paris turned on his heel and stormed off. "You know," Riddick heard him say as he joined the others, "if I owned Hell and this planet... I'd rent out this planet and live in Hell." 

"I think I agree," Meera said handing him the bottle. "I'd rather you live there too... that way you wouldn't be here, now." Riddick gave a short laugh in the back of his throat. They looked at each other. She gave him an innocent look. "What'd I say?" 

This was one hell of a kid. 

As they started walking he felt the weight of the cell lessen. Confused, he turned to look at the rope and saw one of Meera's hands holding on, helping him. Riddick smiled at her and looked down to see her other hand playing with the set of dog tags that hung around her neck. They looked somewhat familiar to him. He reached out and stopped her fidgeting hands. 

"What's with the tags?" 

"Got them when I was little, when I have them, touch them, I don't feel so antsy," she told him. Her voice had a distinct tone in it that made his heart catch. What was this kid doing to him? Making him go soft? 

"So who was the kid on that planet?" 

She straightened up. "Jackson." 

"Jackson?" 

"My lit'l brother." 

"Uh huh." 

"Yeah well, I won't ever see him again," he heard her mumble. She certainly had that right, there was no way Johns was going to let them go. 

A noise filled the air... clicking noises and it seemed to be coming from all around them. Riddick recognized those noises... he'd heard them when he was going to take Zeke's breather. He tensed up, his hand slowly traveling to the back of his waistline where his shiv- 

"Dammit!" both he and Meera swore under their breath. "What?" they asked each other in unison. 

"Don't got my shiv," he grunted. 

"Don't got my blaster," she said through gritted teeth. Suddenly, he remembered her arsenal of blasters and he made a mental note to ask her about them when they got off the planet. 

"Might as well just keep going. Johns has the big gauge." 

----- 

Meera looked around; they had finally reached the settlement. She and Riddick were supposed to be of help to anyone who needed it, but no one seemed to want their company. Except Paris. He tried to get her alone any chance he got. 

"Leave me alone, little man," she said, finally running out of patience. 

"Now, wait just a minute, I-" 

She tilted her head to the left. "I've never actually killed for any other reason but to stay alive." Her eyes flashed and she licked her lips. "Wanna be the first?" She turned and walked away, leaving the question hanging between them. She walked parallel to Riddick, buildings between them – keeping him in sight – just like he had told her to. 

Her eyes roamed over the rooftops cautiously, it wasn't safe to let her guard down. Figures moved up ahead, drawing her attention. It was the two boys, Ali and Jack. Jack moved on, motioning for Ali to follow him, but the kid stayed behind, glancing around nervously. 

Meera licked her dry, cracked lips and asked, "Find anything?" She smiled wickedly at Ali. He jumped and looked at her, then turned and high tailed it after Jack. "Didn't mean to scare you," she muttered. Suddenly, someone whistled. She sprinted a few feet to the nearest alley and headed over to Riddick. "What am I? His dog, now?" she asked herself. 

He looked at her, then tore the tarp off of a nearby building, revealing Jack. "Missin the party. C'mon," he tossed over his shoulder at the kid. She watched as he walked off, probably expecting her to follow. She did as he was expecting because basically, she needed someone to stick by. No one else wanted to go anywhere near her but Riddick. 

He seemed to always be there; even when she didn't need him, he was there. He showed up one day on her planet, looking very familiar, and just happened to choose her-of all people-to bug, and bother, and generally, piss the fuck off. But since Johns had unchained them, Riddick had stuck by her, as if she meant something to him. In every reality, he treated her like she was his sister, or his equal. He- 

"What does Fry look like?" his question startled her. Meera looked at him out of the corner of her eye. 

"Beg your pardon?" 

"Fry. The one who wanted to see my eyes." What? Was he interested in her? Was he going soft? First he adopted her and now he wants to know about Fry? 

"Blonde hair, blue eyes," she told him, contemplating asking him about his question. 

His tone when he spoke next left no room for discussion: "Thank you." 

"No problem," she said. 

They entered a decrepit building that seemed to be the former inhabitants' house, though it sure looked inhospitable. Two couches occupied the one-roomed building but their fabric and cushioning had long-since rotted, leaving nothing much more than the frame. A table had once stood in the corner of the room, but now it lay broken on the floor along with the chairs, which haphazardly lay strewn recklessly about the room. Whoever had once lived here had lived here no more for a quite a long time. There were two couches and chairs strewn all over the floor. 

She opted to stand and leaned against a wall opposite Riddick. Looking around she caught Shazza's eye, who was staring at her with disgust. Meera tilted her head to the right and raised an eyebrow in a silent challenge; the other woman looked away. 

Why did this woman suddenly have a problem with her? Back when she was prying Meera from the cryo-chambers she didn't seem to have a problem. So what? All of the sudden something kills her lover, she assumes it was Riddick, and takes out her vengeance on Meera? That wasn't going to happen. This girl did not play that nice with others.

"Has anyone seen the little one? Ali?" Imam asked, rushing into an already happening discussion. 

"Has anyone checked the Coring Room?" Riddick asked. That's when they heard the scream. 

----- 

"Other buildings weren't secure," --Riddick leaned over the edge and looked into the hole-- "so they ran here. Heaviest doors. Thought they'd be safe, but forgot to lock the cellar." 

Fry felt an involuntary shiver pass through her body. Just thinking about what had happened to those poor human beings made the bile rise in the back of her throat. She turned and sifted through some coring samples in a sorry attempt to take her mind off of it. 

"Whatever they are, they seem to stick to the dark, so if we all stick to the daylight, should be all ri-" 

"Twenty-two years ago," she said to herself, cutting Johns off. 

"What?" he asked her, clearly annoyed by her interruption. 

"These coring samples are dated." She picked up the last one and inspected it. "Last one is twenty-two years ago, this month." This find could either work to their advantage, or it could get them all killed. 

"Does that mean something, Carolyn?" Johns drawled. She hated the way he used her name, as if he knew everything there was to know about her. 

Suppressing her anger she said, "I don't know. Maybe nothing." She shook her head in though. "Maybe-" Before she knew what she was doing Fry was running through the settlement. She found herself in front of an orrery, where the rest of the survivors flocked around her. 

Pulling at the gears she counted the numbers off in her head. _Seventeen...eighteen...nineteen..._ The planets moved around the cylinder. The numbers ticked as the planets rotated for another year. _Twenty..._ Sweat started to bead up on her forehead. _Twenty-one..._ Her breath started to quicken. She didn't know if she wanted to see what would happen when the dial hit- 

Twenty-two. The final click sounded and the system stayed in place. A giant planet with two rings blocked the two golden suns, and a tannish colored planet blocked the blue sun. Experimentally, she pushed the outer planet, not surprised to find that everything moved with it.

"A total eclipse," she whispered, looking at the others. 

"You're not afraid of the dark, are you?" Riddick laughed. The sound made the hair on the back of her neck stand at its ends. Looking up, her eyes met with his and he smiled. For some reason, the small smile that crept on his face looked so natural to her. 

"This is the dead land. This is cactus land. Here the stone images are raised. Here they receive the supplication of a dead man's hand under the twinkle of a fading star. Is it like this in death's other kingdom? Waking alone at the hour when we are trembling with tenderness lips that would kiss form prayers to broken stone." Everyone looked at the girl. "What?" she asked them. Did she not know what she had said? 

Johns frowned at Meera. "What the hell was that?" 

"Part of T. S. Elliot's 'The Hollow Man.'" 

"Really?" he questioned, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You just making this up?" 

"I do go to school, you know. Or at least I did," she answered him indignantly. 

"Johns went to school. Didn't cha, Johns?" Riddick asked as if they were old friends. 

"Yes, in fact I did." 

The girl snickered. "Oh, so you _learned_ to be this stupid?" she asked, her green eyes glowing brighter in a challenge. 

"Shut up, you fucking whore," Johns said slowly. 

Fry's eyes went wide. What was with these three people? It was as if they were all siblings. If she didn't know any better, she'd think they were. 

Meera liked her lips. "I'm sure those words should probably hurt, but..." --she shrugged her shoulders-- "Considering who they're coming from? Well, let's just say, I'll save them for a sunny day." 

"Yeah." Johns narrowed his eyes. "I guess, that was being nice. Considering how I found you, I mean, you know? Offering your services to Riddick for money." 

Fry's jaw dropped. She looked at Riddick, who leaned against a wall. He raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest. She was sure that he would at least defend himself. The girl was a minor for Christ's sake! But no, he just stood there. 

Not that that should mean anything to him, the man was a mass murderer after all.

"Jealous, Johns?" the girl asked. 

"Of Riddick? Hardly, I'd rather not get your diseases." 

The corners of the girl's mouth twitched up. "Of me. I mean, at least Riddick would've allowed me to blow him. He wouldn't let _you_ anywhere near his dick." 

Johns pulled his gun out of his holster. Before he was able to do anything about it, Meera was all ready on him with her hand wrapped around his neck. She let out a laugh similar to Riddick's, a predatory growl in the back of her throat. "Give me a break! I can rip apart your throat before you can release the safety and put your finger anywhere near the trigger guard." 

"Ok, just stop it now!" Fry yelled at all of them. There was not going to be any bloodshed, not while she was in charge. "Let's just get started." 

----- 

Meera walked out before anyone else had the chance to. Truthfully, she wasn't pissed; in fact, she wasn't anything. She walked between two buildings and sat down; even though she'd spent the last twenty-two weeks in cryo-sleep she was tired. Must've been from the lack of oxygen. No one had offered her a breather, so her body had to work extra hard for air. 

"Gotta get those power cells from the crash shit. Shit! Still gotta check the hull, patch the wings," Fry kept her list going. 

At first Meera thought the woman was talking to herself. Until Johns said, "Let's wait on the cells." 

"Wait? Wait for what? Till it's so dark we can't find our way back?" 

"Look, we're not sure when this thing is gonna happen. So let's not-" 

"Just get the fucking cells here, Johns. What's the discussion?" Fry raised her tone. 

"Maybe I should tell you how Riddick escaped." 

Meera waited until they were inside the skiff before she followed them, keeping over to the opened hatch. Inside, the conversation was in full swing: "He can pilot?" Fry asked. 

"Hijacked a prison transport," Johns answered. "Made a helluva good run 'fore I tracked him down." 

"What? You want a medal?" she muttered. 

"Ok. Ok, so maybe that's good. Maybe I could use-" Fry continued to ignore Johns's warnings and Meera was enjoying it. 

"He also figured out how to kill the pilot," he interrupted the captain. 

"Like killing a pilot's all the hard," she said to herself. 

"You said we could trust him. You _said_ you had a deal." 

"Maybe you hadn't noticed, but chains don't work on this guy. Only way we're truly safe is if he believes they're going free. But if he stops believin-" 

"You mean, if he ever finds out you're going to royally fuck them over." 

"We bring the cells up at the last possible minute," Johns said completely ignoring her "When the wings are ready. When we're sure we can take off." Johns was an asshole, and Meera was going to kill him if Riddick didn't do it first. 

Fry's reaction was exactly what she hoped it'd be: "You know, they haven't harmed any of us. Far as I can tell he hasn't even lied. Just stick to the deal, Johns. Let them go if that's what it-" She didn't need to hear anymore. Meera turned and walked away. 

----- 

Riddick sat with his back to the skiff. Johns walked off the gangway and doubled over. "Bad sign," he told him in an ominous voice, "shaking like that in this heat." The merc began to dry heave. 

"Thought I." Johns stammered and whipped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Thought I said no shivs." 

He looked at the knife he was using to shave his already-bald head. "This? This is just a personal grooming appliance." He waited for Johns to walk away and wiped his head with a piece of cloth he found lying around. Then he stood and walked onto the skiff just as the hatch was sealing. 

Fry was running integrity test on the ship. He looked down at the power cell. There was only one. "Looks like we're a few shy," he said, startling her and she whirled around; he continued. "Power cells I mean." 

"They're coming," she said quietly. 

"Strange, not doing a run-up on the main drive yet. Strange, unless he told you the particulars of me escape." 

Fry came around the cockpit and flicked off a nearby set of monitors, hand shaking on the switch. "I got the quick and ugly version." 

"And now you're worried about a repeat of history?" 

"T'has entered our minds," she said in a small voice. 

"I asked what _you_ thought," he said, stepping down on two base compartments that contained part of the main computer. 

"You scare me, Riddick. That's what you want to hear, isn't it?" She looked him in the eyes. "Can I get back to work now?" 

Riddick took a step forward as she turned her back to him. "Do ya...do ya think Johns's a do-right man? Think I can trust him to let us go?" He whispered against the back of her neck, enjoying the way she straightened her spine. 

He heard her take in a sharp breath. "Why? What'd you hear?" 

"Well I guess if it was trickeration he'd just X me out, huh? He'd do me." Riddick breathed slightly on her neck. He moved to the other side, brushing his lips lightly against her skin. "Then again, I'm worth twice as much alive." He grinned when her back straightening even more. "Ah, didn't hear? Your Johns ain't a cop. Oh, he's got that nickel-slick badge and nice uniform, but he's just a merc. And I'm just a payday." He switched sides again. "That's why he won't kill me, see? The creed, is greed-" 

"_Don't_ waste my time. We're not going to turn on each other, no matter how hard you try." She cut him off and walked over to the cockpit, sitting in the pilot's chair. 

----- 

Fry walked back to the cockpit and realized her mistake. He had never said _anything_ about turning on each other! She heard him snicker and then his heavy footfalls coming towards her. 

"I don't truly know what's gonna happen when the lights go out, Carolyn," he said, leaning against the steal chair. "But I do know: once the Big Dyin starts, this psycho-fucked family of our is going to rip itself apart." A screen in front of her beeped. "Hull integrity one-hundred percent," the monitor read. Riddick moved away from her, his heavy footsteps stopping by the hatch. "Ever wonder why Johns shakes like that? Ask him about it. Then ask him why your crew-pal had to scream so painfully." She turned around just in time to watch him ride the gangway down. 

After waiting a few seconds Fry rushed out of the skiff, finding Johns in a nearby building. She had walked in on him poking some kind of needle in his eye, and now he was completely high. 

"What are you really? You're not a cop." 

"Never said I was," he told her lazily, lifting his head mere inches from the wall before letting it drop back. 

She walked over to a red box and pulled open a red shotgun cartridge, revealing a dosage of morphine. "Never said you were a hype either." She tossed the open cartridge and the morphine back into the box. 

"I have a little morphine in the morning, and you have a little caffeine when you can." 

"Here you have two mornings everyday. Weren't you just born lucky?" 

His words slurred together as he made his come back: "It's not a problem, unless you make it one-" 

Fry cut him off. "No! It _becomes_ a problem when you let Owens die like that!" 

"Owens was already dead. His brain just hadn't caught on to the fact." Johns stared at her through half-closed eyes. 

Her eyes flew open, her jaw dropped and she suppressed the urge to beat the stuffing out of him. "Is there anything else that you're hiding? Anything else I should know?" When he didn't answer she turned and started to walk away. 

"Yeah well, look to thine own ass first. Right, Carolyn?" He spat at her before she walked out. 

* * *

Come on guys, please review. I need reviews. Chapter 5 isn't as long, so it shouldn't take as long. 

I hope. 

~Litl A~ 


	5. The Guardian

Chapter 5 

Disclaimer: Meera's quote from the previous chapter comes from T.S. Elliot's "The Hollow Man." 

* * *

TWO YEARS EARLIER: 

Meera walked with her friends down the main street of Starlack City. To any other person they would look like some kind of a weird gang, all the girls wearing the exact same hat a brown baseball hat, with the letters PFA written within a two-inch wide green strap going across the front. PURE FEMALE ATTITUDE. But to someone who looked close enough, or knew the streets, they weren't just a gang. They were the scariest kids that you could ever lay your eyes on. Spending most of their time underground, hanging out in secret organizations. 

A female member could always be recognized by the hat she wore and the barbed-wire tattoo around her left bicep. A male member could be recognized by the same tattoo and brown bandanna worn on his heads. 

"Meera, you working tonight?" A guy in the group asked as the teens walked into a convenience store. She looked around, the storeowner's eyes automatically locked on to her. 

"Of course, what about you?" she asked him. Her eyes roamed over the store as she tilted her head and popped her neck. 

"Yup." 

"I'll meet you guys out there," she said to the group. After a few minutes of walking the isles, Meera picked up a candy bar and walked to the cashier. As they walked outside she placed the candy on the counter. "Here you go." The cashier rang up the chocolate and handed her her change. 

"He's watching you, you know?" He said as she turned to leave. 

"No, I don't know. Who is?" she asked. 

"I've already said too much," the clerk answered. 

Her immediate conclusion was that the man was a few slices short of a Pineerian loaf, but still she pressed on. "What do you mean? Who's watching me?" 

"Meera, come on!" One of the group members walked back into the store to get her. 

The shout started the both of them and when she looked at him again, the clerk smiled as if nothing had happened. "Thank you, come again." 

Frowning slightly she said, "Yeah, sure." 

----- 

He watched her from a nearby ally; she had grown up since the last time he'd seen her nine years ago. He remembered her long black hair and entirely green eyes. But her hair had changed. Not that he could tell what color it was. All he saw was shades of white, tan, and violet. Unless he had his goggles, that was the only time he could see regular colors, but at that moment he was not wearing them. 

She was no longer the little seven-year-old who had stumbled upon him killing her parents. She was a fifteen-year-old who wanted to know where she came from. As discreetly as possible he tailed her. 

"Your turn, Meera. What _was_ your family like?" a boy asked her. 

"Meera," he said her name experimentally. He hadn't said her name since he talked to his old cellmate back at the Orion. 

"I don't remember. I was adopted when I was seven." 

"Why were you adopted?" the same kid asked. 

"My parents were abusive," she told them. 

"Come _on_! Everyone knows they were killed. They even say you were there," a girl said. He made a mental note to kill the girl. 

"Right! And _I_ at _seven_ single-handily subdued the murderer and handed him over to the police, and walked away without a mark on me," Meera told them all. 

"Could have. I mean, have you seen yourself fight? That's why your Chicago's favorite." 

Riddick remembered that night like it was yesterday. 

----- 

Meera sat in her room at the Mackenzie house. She remembered the day her parents died as if it was yesterday. 

__

"Mommy! Daddy! I'm home!" She walked into her home after playing at a friend's house. Then she saw him: a tall, bald guy stood behind the couch with something bloody in his hand. He turned and regarded her with a somewhat blank stare, his hand shaking. The guy seemed to be struggling with himself as he looked down at the floor. 

"Leave," he ordered. 

"Leaving." 

She laid down and put her hands under her head. That guy was definitely scary. Suddenly, she sat up. _He's watching you, you know?_ The clerk's voice echoed in her head. Who was watching her? Was it that guy? Coming to finish the job now that she was older? 

Then she remembered the day at the orphanage: 

__

"Meera! Come here!" the headmaster shouted. 

"Yes sir?" Meera asked. She was only eight; a year had passed since her parents' murder. 

"This was dropped off for you." He handed her a box and looked on with interest. "Well open it." She did as she was told, tearing off the top and peered inside. "Well, what is it?" He examined what she held up: a chain, complete with a set of dog tags. One of which opened into a locket- she did not learn this till years later, one side of the tag revealed a picture. A boy with a shaved head and entirely blue eyes smiled back. 

"Who sent it, sir?" 

"I don't know." 

"Can I keep it?" 

"Yes. You may." 

"Thank you." 

Her hand flew to the locket. She thought she had seen the boy, now a man, lurking around in the shadows. He looked vaguely familiar and it bothered her. 

----- 

Riddick watched her hand fly to the locket. She was a smart girl, she'd eventually figure things out. A smile crept on his face and his eyes flashed. He had given the locket to his adopted father - the convenience store clerk-slash-owner - to give to Meera after he left for the Orion. He guessed his father did his job. 

He would never have killed her parents if they hadn't tried killing him. Of all the nerve. Dumping him in that liquor store trash bin with an umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. 

Shaking his head, Riddick continued to watch over his sister. 

* * *

Review please. 

~Litl A~ 


	6. The Home Stretch

Chapter 6 

* * *

Meera glanced over at Riddick as Fry continued her speech. "...So all right. Maybe we have enough light," she told everyone. 

Johns asked the question that was on everyone's mind: "Enough for fucking what?" Ok, so maybe Meera would not have used those exact words, but Johns got the point across. 

"We stick to the plan. Get the four cells back to the skiff. We're off this rock." 

Feared made itself present in the merc's next words: "Back up. How long can this thing last?" Johns frowned at her. "Few minutes, hours, a day tops?" 

Imam looked at him and in a low voice said, "I had an impression from the model, the two planets were moving as one, and there would be a lasting darkness." 

Riddick looked back at her as Johns said, "These suns gotta come out some time. And if these things really are phobic about light, we just sit here and wait till the sun comes up." 

Fry shook her head, clearly peeved. "I'm sure that's what someone else said, locked inside that coring room." 

Meera sat back and watched as the debate went on. "Look, I hate to ruin a beautiful theory with an ugly fact, but that Sandcat is solar," Paris told everyone, and the captain looked at the man in surprise. 

"So we carry the cells. We drag them, whatever it takes," Fry said. She was sounding more like a real captain every time she spoke. 

Someone whimpered a little, causing Meera to frown and turn her head. "You mean, tonight? With those things still out there?" Jack asked in a scared voice, the boy sat on a crate in the far corner of their room, his knees drawn up against his chest, and arms hugging them closer to his body. 

Johns, the wimp that he was, played on Jack's fears. "We need to think about everyone here, especially the kid. How scared's this boy gonna be out there in the dark?" 

"Don't use him like that!" Fry snapped. 

"Like what?" 

"As a smoke screen. You deal with your own fears." 

She was starting to enjoy this; Johns was finally getting put in his place. "Hey!" he said indignantly. "Why don't you shut your fucking mouth for two seconds, and let me come up with a plan that doesn't involve mass suicide?" 

Beside her, Riddick snickered. Was he enjoying this as much as she was? 

"I'm waiting," Fry said after a couple of seconds. "How much you weigh, Johns?" 

Meera arched an eyebrow and looked at Riddick. What was Fry doing? What did weight have to do with anything? 

"What does it matter, Carolyn?" 

"How much!" 

"'Round seventy-nine kilos to be exact." -

-------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Ok, for those of you reading: Does that last line make any sense to you? And it's not like I came up with that line. That's exactly how Johns says it in the movie. How can something be around something, but at the same time be exact? Anyway... 

-------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"'Cause you're seventy-nine kilos of gutless white meat, and _that's_ why you can't come up with a better plan." 

Johns had a short temper and everyone knew it. Shit was going to hit the fan. Meera looked up at Riddick; he returned the look. She leaned over to him and whispered, "You wanna put a stop to this?" 

----- 

He knew what Johns was doing before the merc did. 

"Is that fucking right?" Johns asked, springing forward. Riddick stepped in front of him as he made his way to Fry. Johns jammed his pistol under his chin. "Where you going?" Riddick looked back at him, his goggles masked the look of pure hatred that shone in his eyes. 

"This solves nothing," the Holy man said. It was a stand off. 

Riddick removed his goggles and looked at Johns. He twisted his left wrist - which contained a shiv - back and forth near Johns's groin. 

"Ok." Johns grinned evilly at him as he sat back down. 

Riddick had a soft spot for Carolyn Fry. _So what?_ he thought as she crouched next to Jack. He took his place next to Meera and kept quiet, his hatred for Johns growing inside him for what he had done to his sister. He remembered what her face looked like as he knelt down in front of her to get her out of the chains. One eye was barely open, the other was blood shot, her right cheek was purple and puffy and the left one was bleeding badly. Sure, all the physical proof was gone, but he knew she was in pain, she had to be. And for that, he hated Johns. 

"They're afraid of our light. And that means we don't have to be so afraid of them." 

"And you're certain you can find your way back. Even in the dark?" Imam asked as Riddick turned to converse with Meera. 

"No, I can't. But he can." 

Riddick turned his head and gave her a deer-caught-in-headlights look. Before he knew it, he was walking with the group to the main part of the crash-ship. Fry called his name and he moved ahead of the group. Taking off his goggles, he looked inside. 

"Looks clear," he called to the others. 

Johns walked ahead and fell to the ground screaming as a bat-like creature flew out of the ship. "You said clear!" he whined. 

__

Stop being such a pussy. "I said 'looks clear!'" 

"Well, what's it look like now?" 

"Looks clear." In the back of his mind, Riddick could imagine Meera laughing. 

----- 

"Oh, oh, kill him," Fry heard Meera say. She looked around and saw Paris scurrying away like the scared little man that he was. 

"Paris," she commanded. "Get back here." 

Suddenly, all the halogen lights went out. Johns walked over and struck up a flair. 

"Nice to see you're OK," he said as Riddick joined them. 

Time dragged on and Fry was getting tired. She looked at their group and tried to relax. So much had happened in the past twenty minutes. Jack was a girl; she had to remember that. Jack was a girl, just as frail as her and - _well maybe not Meera_, she thought. Up ahead, Riddick and Johns were talking, and Fry nervously gave the order to slow up. As their paces grew smaller, Meera took the opportunity to snatch the blasters from the shed. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Fry asked her. 

"Taking back what's rightfully mine. What?" She opened her vest to reveal two body holsters. "You think I have all these holsters for show?" 

A shot rang out and she looked Meera who gave her an it-wasn't-me look. "Leave the sled!" Fry ordered. She ran with the rest of them, leaving behind everything, taking only the burning bottle of liquor in her hand. "Let's move!" 

She didn't know how far she ran until she ran into Meera. Frightened, Fry turned around and slammed into Riddick's chest. "Back to the ship, huh? Just huddle together till the lights go out?" his voice rumbled in her head. 

"Get away from us," she said, looking at the others. The girl had a weapon in her hand and was at the ready, but she did not look scared. 

"Until you can't see -" - he paused momentarily as Meera walked up to him - "- what's eating you? That the big plan?" 

"Where's Johns?" Imam asked sternly. 

"Which half?" The question was rhetorical and Fry felt her stomach sink. 

"We're all gonna die out here," Jack mumbled. 

Riddick's hand went to the small of Meera's back as he led her around the group. Fry suddenly found herself surprisingly jealous. "He died fast. And if we have any choice about it, that's the way we should all go." The two of them - Riddick and Meera, with his hand still on her back - walked over to Jack. "Don't you cry for Johns. Don't you dare," he told her sternly. 

----- 

"Come on, kid. Be all right." Meera felt Riddick's hand leave her back and she felt bare without it. It amazed her how much she had become attached to him. She kept the blaster in her left hand and put her right arm around Jack's shoulder. Together, the two of them sat in the light, while Riddick walked around and Imam, his boy, and Fry talked. She smiled reassuringly at Jack. 

Finally, the other girl broke out of her shock. "So what's the deal with your eyes." 

"Ever hear of night vision binocs?" Meera asked. 

"Wow, so have eyes like Riddick." 

She gave her a short laugh. "Hardly." 

"I don't un-" 

She finished her sentence: "Understand? Mine are natural. His are surgical. Though mine aren't quite as strong as his." 

"Oh." 

"Yup." 

Imam walked over to them. "Shall we-" Meera cut him off by shooting a creature that was drawing nearer. "Shall we pray?" 

"I'll take a rain check there, sir. Never prayed before and I'm not about to start." She walked away after Jack said that she'd like to pray. 

"Meera? Can I talk to you a sec?" She turned around, to see Fry walking over to her. 

----- 

Riddick looked at the alien skeleton. "Blind spot," he said to himself, fitting a piece of bone into what looked like the correct place. 

"Shall we pray together?" He dropped the piece of the eye at the sound of Imam's voice. "I've already prayed with the others." When he said nothing Imam added: "It _is_ painless." 

"S'pointless." 

"Just because you don't believe in God, does not mean God does not believe-" 

"Think a man could spend half his life in a slam with a horse bit stuck in his mouth, and not believe?" he asked, tying the cells together. "Think he can start out in some liquor store trash can with an umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, and not believe?" He paused to let it all sink in. "Got it all wrong, Holy Man. I absolutely believe in God." Riddick looked up at Imam, his eyes shining. "And I absolutely hate the fucker." 

"He is with you nonetheless," Imam said. 

"Two of your boys are all ready dead. How much faith do _you_ have left, _father_?" Imam walked away. 

"My brother died like that." Riddick looked up to see Meera standing above him. 

"What? I thought I was about to use your brother as protection," he played dumb, knowing it was too early to let her know the truth. 

"I was adopted." 

"What happened to your real family?" 

"They were abusive," she answered after a few seconds. It was almost as if she wanted him to catch her in the lie. 

"What _honestly_ happened?" 

She smiled for a second, but it faded as fast as it came. "My parents were killed." 

"And this brother of yours?" 

"Would've been older than me." 

"What happened to him?" 

"Died during labor." Was that what they told her about him? Then again, that was what his mother believed had happened to him. Or at least she believed that until he killed her. "I have a question?" 

"Shoot," he told her. 

"That day, when we were caught, how'd you know where I lived? I mean, I friggin' zigged _and_ zagged." Just as he was about to answer Fry came over to them. 

"I think we should get going." 

----- 

"Get up, Riddick!" Meera heard from around the corner. "I said I'd die for them, _not_ you!" Fry repeated the sentence a few more times as they came into view. Riddick and Fry were supporting each other. 

Suddenly, there was an eerie silence and she unholstered two blasters. Digging her toes into the mud, she propelled herself forward towards the couple, and as she did so Fry was jerked from Riddick's arms. Meera dropped to the ground; sliding in the mud, she sighted and pulled the trigger until she heard the double click, signifying that the crystals had finally died. 

"You might wanna-ooff!" She exhaled as Fry landed on her, taking away her breath. "Catch her," she finished weakly. 

Together, Meera and Riddick managed to get Fry back to the skiff. Jack and Imam stayed with Fry on the floor, while she and Riddick sat in the cockpit. 

"A lotta questions. Whoever we run into, might even be a merc ship. So what'd we tell 'em 'bout you?" Jack asked, causing both of them to glance at her. 

"Riddick's dead. He died somewhere on that planet," he told her in an ominous voice. 

* * *

Chapter 7 is coming up soon, I hope you enjoy. 

Please review. 

~Litl A~ 


	7. The Truth

Chapter 7 

* * *

They had been on the skiff for a little over two hours and Fry was starting to wander whether or not they'd ever be saved. Sitting in the cockpit with Riddick keeping silent was killing her with worry. The man next to her was making her nervous. He was a murderer, also said to be rapist, and they were alone in the cockpit. She looked over the main cabin. Meera, as well as Jack, was sleeping in the back of the ship on one of the seats, while they sat in the cockpit. 

"So where you going when we reach wherever?" she asked, trying to fill the silence. 

"Don't know." She turned to look at him. He stared straight ahead as if he had never spoken. 

"What about her?" she asked, referring to the girl. 

"What _about_ her?" This time she saw him speak, and she wasn't sure if she liked his tone. 

"I was under the impression that you would-" 

"I will." 

"-take her with you." She was also under the impression that he would talk a little more. As if sensing what she was thinking he turned and raised his eyebrows. They held each other's eyes until she looked away at the view port. 

"What about you?" 

His question confused her. "What do you mean?" 

"Where are you going when we hit wherever?" 

"Oh. I don't know." She looked back and saw Jack sleeping across from Meera with Imam sleeping on the floor. "Don't know what I'm going to do with Jack either." 

"She's a big girl, she can take care of herself." 

Fry could not believe what she was hearing. "So can Meera," she shot at him. 

His jaw set. "That's different," he told her in a no-nonsense tone. 

She was slowly growing less afraid of him. Squaring her shoulders, she asked, "How different?" He opened his mouth to answer. 

"What's that?" Meera's voice startled the both of them. The girl looked at Riddick and then looked down. "Sorry," she said softly. Fry looked over at him and frowned; he had a hold over this kid and it scared her. 

"Go on, Meera. What's what?" she asked the girl. The girl raised her eyebrows quickly and walked between the two chairs. She pointed to a moving object in the distance. "Dunno. If it's a ship it'll contact us," Fry answered. She looked at Riddick expectantly and smiled, he still had a question to answer. 

"What?" he asked. 

"This is the _S.S.Craft_. Identify yourself," a static-filled voice commanded over the scanner. 

Everyone looked at the machine in surprise. They were saved! Fry picked up the CB, put it near her mouth and pressed the comm. button. "This is the emergency skiff for commercial transport ship _Hunter Gratzner_." 

"How many in your crew?" the voice asked. 

"Captain, two security and two passengers. Five total." She looked around the skiff. Lights, that looked as though they would go out at any second, dimly lighted the cabin. The steal benches, that doubled as beds, were rotting and rusted. And the floor looked as though it was about to collapse into the engine room at any possible second. 

"Shut down main sys. Prepare to dock within one hour." 

"Copy that. Shutting down main system." She did as the voice asked. For the next hour they would be floating in space. She put the CB down and turned to face Meera. 

"What?" the girl asked in a small voice. 

"You and Riddick are security, so I need you to share some of your blasters." 

"Right." She started to unsnap her thigh holsters. "Wait. Got any crystals? I'm kinda empty on two." She raised a questioning eyebrow at Fry and Riddick, who stared at her blankly. "Two crystals are dead," she explained dully as if everyone should have known what she meant. 

"Um, actually, check storage underneath in the engine room." 

Meera took off her vest and shoulder holster and handed the holster - with blasters - to Riddick. Then she unhooked her belt and it - with the two weapons and holsters - to him. 

"What are you gunna use?" he asked. Fry could hear the tid-bit of edge in his voice and he was rewarded with a bright smile. 

"Every magician has her secrets. Be back." Lifting a hatch behind the main cabin, she disappeared into the belly of the ship. 

Fry turned back to Riddick. "How is she different?" She was waiting for him to say that she gives the best blowjobs in the galaxy. Instead, he looked at her through sad eyes. 

----- 

Meera had heard them talking. Heard Riddick say she was different. _How am I different?_ she thought as she touched the floor and crouched. While waiting for her eyes to adjust, she pulled up her left pant leg revealing an ankle holster. She pulled out the weapon and looked around. Feeling relatively safe she started to walk around, looking for a storage closet. 

Pipe and vents, even rafters, cluttered the small space, making standing straight very painful and fast movements relatively impossible. Still she found what she was looking for quickly. The box full of blaster crystals was stored in a three-foot high locker labeled 'Ammunitions Locker.' She took the box back with her to the hole. 

When she reached the hole she placed her gun back where it belonged, then tossed the box up to the cabin, knowing that Riddick would catch it. Once it was out of her hands, she jumped and grabbed the edge of the hole; she hoisted herself up and sat down on the cool steal floor. 

Meera grabbed the box from Riddick and tore it open like a child eager to open a present. "Let's see here," she said to no one in particular. "Crystal, crystal, crystal, crystal. Wow! It's a box full of crystals." She looked at Riddick and Fry with wide eyes. "Wow mummy, daddy, a real dolly." She smiled at her own joke. When they both gave her strange looks, she shrugged. "Repressed memories are bound to come out in the open." Again they looked at her strangely. "You were talking about me, weren't you?" 

He gave her a half smile. "Guess you'll never know." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Let's go. Less than an hour, load the crystals and go put the box back." 

She looked at him, then turned to the bench that she had fallen asleep on earlier. There was a handle around the edge, she remembered finding it before she fell asleep. Maybe there was something inside the seat that she could stuff some things into. 

"Sweet!" The handle snapped up when she pressed an unseen button. After pulling up the handle, the top of the seat came up revealing a deep-set trunk. 

Someone walked up behind her. "What?" Riddick asked. 

"Just found some stuff." Meera stuck her hands inside and began to sift around. Her left hand brushed against some kind of fabric and she grabbed it, giving a short yelp of victory. 

"What you got in there?" he asked her, crouching down to her level. 

"Looks like a case of some kind," she said, bringing the bag out of the trunk. It was a small, brown leather sack with two thin straps. 

"What's it got inside?" 

"Dunno." 

He took the bag from her and dumped the contents onto the floor. "There's an easy way to find out." 

"Usually is," she muttered to herself. 

----- 

Riddick watched as Meera sifted through the objects on the floor; she turned and looked at him. She smiled and shook her head, as if trying to talk herself out of something. 

"What?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow. 

A roll of bandages hit him in the chest. Next thing he knew, she was giving him instructions: "Take care of Fry's shoulder and yourself. Then check out Imam and Jack." He looked at her in shock. This was something entirely new to him. Richard B. Riddick was not someone who was told what to do. 

"Yes, ma'am," he said, taking the orders like a man. 

"What are you doing?" Fry looked at him through squinted eyes when he turned to her. 

"Huh?" He didn't understand what she meant. What was the problem? 

"The bandages. What are they for?" 

"Oh. You. Let me take a look at your shoulder," he said, walking towards her. She hesitated, a faint blush creeping up her face, and turned her back, granting him a perfect view. Her shoulders were marred and bloody, a look that did not suit her silky skin. "Looks like they got you pretty good." 

"Yeah, hurts like a bitch, too." Not waiting for her to give the go ahead, he called to Meera for medical tape and waited. When it hit him in the head he continued, smiling all the while. The girl had good aim. He cut the tap with his teeth and placed it around the edges of Fry's shoulder bandages. The whole thing took less than two minutes to take care of. 

"Thank you," Fry said, turning to look at him. "Your turn." 

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "My what?" 

Blushing again, she said, "Take off your shirt. Let me look at your cuts." 

Off to the side he could hear Meera laughing quietly. The girl was enjoying herself, and he wondered, briefly, how long she would be enjoying herself. How long until he came clean? 

Twenty minutes passed and everyone, except Meera, who appeared to have not a scratch on her, was bandaged up. Most of his cuts and bruises were gone, but he still had a deep gash in his left calf and one across his chest, both of which would take two or so hours to heal. The beauty of Peacekeeper blood. They all waited in silence for the call over the radio. 

When it came everyone jumped in surprise. "_Hunter Gratzner_, this is the _S.S. Craft_. Prepare for docking." 

"Copy that _Craft_," Fry spoke into the CB. She turned to him and Meera, "Go sit by the hatch and strap in. It's going to be a bumpy ride." 

Riddick followed Meera to the back of the skiff. That's when he noticed the two guns in the back of her waistline, he had totally forgotten all about them. "Remind me to ask about the guns," he said, as he sat across from her. 

"No prob, bro," she said, not looking at him, because she was too intent on strapping in. 

"About the "bro" stuff-" 

Giving her straps a final tug, she looked up. "You want me to stop?" Riddick looked at her in shock, he could swear she looked upset. 

"No." _I want to tell you about your parents._

"You going soft on me, Riddick?" She smiled softly. 

"No," he said indignantly. "I-" Something rattled the skiff, cutting him off, and then the hatch lowered. He took this as his cue to unhook himself and stand up. Meera followed his example and stood completely still. 

A young looking gentleman boarded the ship. He stuck his hand out to Riddick. "I am Benedict. Captain of this ship." 

"Sergeant Lowe, Chief of Security." He answered after shaking the man's hand. He quickly looked at Meera: "Lieutenant get the passengers and Captain off the skiff." She quickly grabbed the brown bag, which she had stuffed with crystals, and turned to him. 

With a quick, "Yes, sir," she left with Fry, Imam, and Jack following her down the gangway. 

"I'm afraid to say, I only have two rooms free, Sergeant," the captain told him. 

On this ship? Riddick was sure that there was a whole lot more than that. Despite his thoughts he politely thanked the captain. 

"It's nothing," Benedict said, dismissing it with the wave of his hand. They walked out of the ship. "Now, if you'll all just follow me..." 

----- 

Fry looked around; it was like she was on a giant planet. The ship had everything anyone could have hoped for. Railings looked out at holo-pictures of waterfalls and forest scenes, giving the ship's common a much more calming atmosphere. People moved around busily, walking briskly this way and that. 

Captain Benedict walked up to her. "Everything to your liking?" 

"Yes, it is. It's so kind of you to take us in, sir." 

"What happened to the rest of your passengers?" 

She glanced over at the calming holoes. "They were killed." 

"I see." 

Fry turned to Meera; Riddick had instructed the two of them to stay together while he got Jack and Imam settled. She closed her eyes and shuddered. When Meera was shooting the creatures, she was sure that she would get hit. But the girl obviously had good aim, which only made her all the more dangerous. 

"Lieutenant, would you join me in the cafeteria?" Fry asked. 

"Yes, ma'am." Meera stayed right next to her as they walked. And oddly enough, even though she was only seventeen, Fry felt safe with her watching her back. They entered the cafeteria, got their food, and sat down. "So you and Richy seemed quite cozy earlier." 

Fry played stupid. "I don't know what you're talking about." 

"You like him, don't you?" 

"No." Meera raised a questioning eyebrow and Fry gave in: "Yes, I'm stupid." 

"No. He's a good guy." 

"He's a murderer." 

"Not no more." 

"You're right." She sighed heavily and tilted her head to take in the other girl. "What's up with that? I mean, he's completely different around you." 

Meera's brow furrowed. She took a bite of her slop and said, "I don't know. Don't worry, though, you have no competition from me. One thing I do know is-" 

"What's that?" she asked. 

The girl looked around, then leaned in to whisper: "I definitely need a shower and a new pair of clothes." Fry sat back and smiled, but then looked up. Behind Meera a young man, seventeen, maybe eighteen, walked passed. She raised her eyebrows as he kept his eyes fixed on Meera's back. 

"That's a good thing to know," she said, keeping the conversation going. 

"Thought it would be." The girl turned to see what she was looking at, but the guy had already moved on. "What was that?" 

"What was what?" 

"You blinked." 

"I what?" 

"Blinked. Looked over my shoulder and blinked." 

"Blinked?" 

"Blinked." 

"What's that?" 

"You know, paused, stopped paying attention, went off into space?" 

"Oh. It was nothing." 

"Ok." Fry could tell that she did not believe her, but still the subject was dropped. They ate in silence for a few more minutes. Many passengers of the _Craft_ walked into and out of the cafeteria. When Fry was finished eating she looked over at Meera. 

"Finished?" 

The girl nodded. "Yeah, let's motor. A little crowded in here." They both stood up and walked out of the cafeteria. 

Fry walked over to a security guard, leaving Meera behind to look like a seriously mean bodyguard. "'Scuse me?" 

The guard looked at her. "Yes, ma'am?" 

"Can you tell me where Captain Benedict put the refugees?" 

He looked at her then at Meera, assessing them both. "One second." Then he turned slightly and talked quietly to his wrist. After a few seconds he turned back to her. "Level C, rooms two-oh-three and two-oh-five." 

"Thank you." 

"Have a nice day, ma'am." 

"You, too," she tossed over her shoulder, as she walked to her guard. "Ok, we get to look for an elevator." 

"He should lose his job." 

"Why?" She looked behind them. That boy from the cafeteria was tailing them. 

"Because, he's not supposed to just give out that information," Meera said, waving her hands in a dismissive gesture. 

"Oh. We've got a tail." Fry glanced behind them again. 

Meera turned slightly and looked at her backside. She straightened up and retorted, "I don't know 'bout you, but I'm tail-free." 

Fry smiled. "That's not what I meant." 

"I know what you meant. I was making a joke. Elevators are this way." The girl moved to the right and she followed. Five seconds later, they were waiting for an elevator. 

"Oh, I get it." 

"Yup, and I noticed. He started following us from the mess hall." 

"I think he's following _you_." She smiled slyly at the girl. 

"What gives you that idea?" She asked as they walked onto the elevator. Fry caught a glimpse of the kid as the doors closed. 

"'Cause I caught him staring at you in the caf." 

"Oh. Am I supposed to go all girly now?" she asked dully. 

"Well you could get a little excited." Fry watched her mouth twitch ever so slightly. "A-ha see!" 

"Enough about this! We'll talk about Richy now." Fry stopped smiling, she hadn't defined her feelings completely. Yes, she was attracted to him, but what now? Would they be traveling together forever? Or would he just leave? "I'm guessing from your silence, I hit an off-topic?" Before she could answer, the elevator stopped and the doors swept open. "Let's look for our room." The girl smiled slightly to lessen the now dark mood and started out of the elevator. 

"Ok." 

----- 

Riddick sat in a chair while Imam and Jack slept on the two beds in room 203. Room 205 was the adjoining room. He was waiting for Fry and Meera to get back and hoped everything was OK with those two. Fry was a little hesitant about going with Meera and he knew it, but Imam and Jack just seemed to trust him a little bit more. 

The door buzzed and he turned to see who was entering. Laughter filtered in from the hall and the girls walked in, but when they saw him they sobered up. "Hey, Richy-Rich, you're looking a little worn. Why don't you get some sleep?" Meera inquired, giving him a lopsided grin. 

"Waiting for you two." He had to tell Meera about their parents. "Can I talk to you?" Riddick asked, pointing to the next room. 

"Sure." She turned to Fry. "Don't go nowhere. We have a conversation to continue." Then she followed him into the other room and he closed the door while she sat on one of the beds. "What's the haps, bro?" 

"There's something you should know," he spat out after a few minutes of silence. "About your parents." 

She stiffened and set her jaw in a way that was oh-so familiar. "What do you know about my parents?" 

"A few years before they had you, they had a little baby boy." 

"I know, he-" 

"He didn't die during labor. They dumped him in a liquor store trash bin," he told her calmly. 

"How do you kn-" 

"He didn't die. The owner found him, my father raised him." 

There was silence before Meera swiped her eyes and sniffled. "You know my brother? Why didn't you tell me?" she locked her eyes on him and he cringed, knowing just from the look in her eyes that this was an emotion that she was not used to showing. 

"Would you believe me if I told you: that I'm your brother?" he asked patiently, unsure of how she would react. He kept his eyes on her so she knew that he was serious. 

"You're joshin' me!" she let out a tiny, nervous laugh and looked away. Her right hand came out and began to play with the blanket on the bed that she sat on. 

"Not really. I'm the other person in the tag," he said, pointing to her dog tags. 

"I never told anyone that there-" She ran her hand through her hair. "No way." 

"When I was twelve, they had you." He looked down at his hands and took a deep breath. "We looked so much alike," he heard himself say softly, surprised to hear the words leave his mouth. 

"I don't believe you," her voice cracked. 

"I've watched you grow up, Meera. Your hair used to be jet black," he stated, trying to convince her. 

"Anyone could tell that, my roots aren't died." 

"I watched over you." He was getting frustrated, not expecting her to take it this way. "_I_ sent the scout for the fight club. Of course that was after I went away for a few years." 

"How many?" His hopes began to climb, maybe she was starting to believe. 

"Last time I saw you you were seven, next time, fifteen." 

"Eight years? Why so long?" 

"I was sent to the Orion." 

"For what?" She looked at him with a look of sheer interest. 

"Murder." 

"Did you know mom and dad were murdered?" she asked, looking down at her tags. 

"You were there." 

"I know." 

"Were you scared?" 

"Shitless. But he let me go!" He watcher her lower lip trembled at the memory. 

"Ever wonder why?" he prodded gently. 

She sniffled and sat up straighter, and he knew that showing her pain was driving her crazy. "I've thought about it." 

"Maybe he didn't want to hurt-" 

"A little girl? That's what I thought. How'd you feel when you found out they were your parents?" 

Riddick pulled up a chair and sat in front of her. "I was eighteen when I confronted them. I'm a spitting image of Dad, just to let you know." 

She smiled softly at him. "I knew you looked familiar." 

"They wanted nothing to do with me." 

"Jesus, I'm sorry. If it's any consolation, they were self-obsessed. I always had a baby-sitter. Hell, _she_ practically raised me. They didn't care about me," she said harshly. "I was just an ornament." 

"They got what they deserved, then?" 

"Wasn't like I knew them all that well, I didn't cry when I found out they died. I didn't care." 

That was a relief. "So this kid who killed them. He ever get caught?" She had to know what he did; his mind was made up. 

"Um, yeah, they did catch him." 

"Ever wonder why he let you go?" 

"You asked me that. Yes, I'd _love_ to know why he let me go." 

"Maybe he didn't want to hurt-" 

"A little girl?" 

"-his seven-year-old sister." 

"Sister?" Her jaw dropped and she blinked. "You killed them?" she asked incredulously. 

"And I've watched over you for the past, God knows how many years." Meera stood up off the bed and paced the length of the room for a while. Riddick stood and followed her with his eyes. "Meera?" She stopped directly in front of him, then she threw her arm back and punched him square in the jaw. He saw the move coming but decided it was best to let her hit him. 

As if realizing what she did, both her hands flew to her mouth and she moved away from him. Her eyes open in pure horror as she said, "I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me." 

Riddick's jaw hit the floor and he frowned. This was not going well, she actually thought he would hurt her? _You killed your own parents, asshole!_ Mirroring her, both his hands went to his mouth. "Meera I would never hurt you." _I love you. You're my baby sister_, he added to himself. 

She backed into the wall, her eyes searching for an escape and he saw them rest on the door. Riddick heard her swallow hard. "Can I please just go?" From her voice he knew she was near tears. 

He looked away and nodded. "I'm not going to hold you back." He didn't watch her leave, only hear the door open and slam shut. Then he sat back down on the chair and put his head in his hands. _Way to go Riddick_. He just hoped that she didn't go and get herself into any trouble. She was too irrational at the moment, and would end up getting herself killed. He made a resolution to give her an hour before he went out to find her. After a few seconds he heard a door open and click shut. 

"You all right?" Fry asked, her voice soft and melodic in his hears. He heard her inch forward in and unsure manner. 

"Yeah." 

"Where'd Meera go?" 

"I don't know." He never looked up. 

* * *

Stay tuned for the next chapter. 

Read and review. 

Thanks. 

~Litl A~ 


	8. The Watcher

Chapter 8

* * *

This had to be some kind of sick joke. Meera leaned on the railing that over looked the holographic waterfall and sighed. Riddick was just playing with her, right? Yeah, that was it. She would go back to the room and he'd laugh at her for being so gullible. She took a deep breath and felt inside her pocket. Hopefully, she'd still have some credit chips left from before Johns had taken her in.

After finding four or five, she walked into the nearest convenience store and bought a bottle of water; she needed to calm down. As soon as the water was paid for, she opened the bottle and returned to the waterfall. This time she sat with her back against the railing and quickly downed the drink.

Yeah right, Riddick killed her parents! And he was her brother! She shook her head and laughed sardonically, he needed to stop playing with her head. Meera took a deep breath and stood up slowly. If she stayed there any longer people would start thinking she was going through withdrawal. Her hands shook as she ran them through her hair. Pushing off the railing, she started back towards the elevator.

"Can I buy you a drink?" someone next to her asked.

"That's original." Meera looked up at the guy and raised her eyebrows. He was older than her, around Riddick's age – maybe older - with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. He regarded her seriously and she stopped walking.

"Yeah, well, you look like you could use a drink," he told her.

"Sure as hell can." He motioned with his arm and she followed him into the nearest pub. They sat at the bar and waited for the bartender to come around to them.

"What's your poison?" the guy asked her.

"Devil's Sunrise," she said automatically, not knowing what it was, just that it was a drink that her foster mother favored.

The bartender came over to them, a wash rag thrown over his shoulder. "Devil's Sunrise for the lady and I'll have a straight Vodka," the guy told him. As the bartender, left Meera watched the man out of the corner of her eye. He reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulled something out. "I was wondering if you knew this man."

She sighed tiredly; there was always a catch. Why was there always a catch? She looked at the picture on the bar: Riddick. Meera looked up at the man, his eyes expectant. "Sorry. Never seen him before in my life," she lied, keeping eye contact with him.

"Damn." He reached back into his pocket and pulled something else out. "He might be traveling with this person. Maybe you've seen her?"

She looked down at the next photo and froze. It was her! A surveillance photo of her when she was thirteen years old! "Where'd you get this?" she growled, her eyes flashing and turning to a darker green.

"Easy there, Tiger," he said, visibly uneasy about the change in her demeanor. "Riddick was my old cellmate."

"I don't know who you're talking about. But I would like to know _why_ you have this?" She pointed to the picture of herself.

"Your brother had me watch you until he broke out to get you." He whispered as the bartender placed their drinks in front of them and walked away.

"I don't have a brother." She spoke through clenched teeth and fought hard to keep her anger in check. She took her shot and slammed the glass down on the bar, standing during the process. "Stay the fuck away from," she warned the guy.

He stood up and moved towards her in an attempt to calm her down and not make a scene. Meera patted her freshly charged blaster in a silent, deadly warning, and he froze in his place.

"Got it," he told her, stepping back, taking the hint.

Meera kept her hand poised over her weapon as she walked out of the bar, leaving the guy behind. She looked down at herself as she rounded a corner and started for the elevators. Her hands were dirty with blood under her fingernails and her clothes had blue goo and dry, caked blood all over them.

"Ugh, I need a shower," she whispered to herself. From down the hall she watched the down arrow light up and the elevator doors begin to close. In a desperate rush, she dashed down the hall toward the closing doors. "Hold the-" The doors went wide and she skidded to a stop. "Thanks," she said to the guy who had held the elevator.

"What level?" he asked her. He looked like the kid who had followed her and Fry earlier. "What level?" he repeated.

"Huh?" Meera blinked, coming back to reality.

"What level are you going to?" he asked again.

She shook her head and smiled at her own stupidity. "C."

"OK." He pressed the button and smiled at her.

"Thanks." She moved over to the opposite side of the elevator; if he was the guy who had followed them earlier, she would have to be careful. She refused to look at him or make eye contact while they were in motion. Instead, she kept her gaze locked on the lighted letters above the door.

At last, the doors opened and she let out a soft sigh of relief. The kid stepped off, holding the door open for her. Meera gave him a half, un-heartfelt smile and walked away.

"Nice talking to you," she heard him called out. Looking over her shoulder, she watched him walk down a hall that led in the opposite direction than her room and she rounded a corner.

-Just in time to see Riddick walking out of the room. Backpedaling around the corner, she turned and started down a different hallway.

"Gonna hafta to talk to him sooner or later," she chided herself. As she turned the next corner, she bumped into to someone. "Christ!" she let out under her breath. Meera took a deep breath and a step back to settle herself.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention," she said, looking up to see the guy from the pub right in front of her.

"S'alright, Tiger. Accidents happen." He looked over her head at something behind her. "Riddick, my man." Meera flinched at the sound of his name and turned slowly. Her brother was standing right behind her, his jaw bruised, but he didn't look pissed. Instead, he looked somewhat depressed.

"Michigan," he answered, sticking out his hand to the other man. "How are you?" He asked as they shook.

She excused herself and ducked from between the two as their conversation started. Heading back towards the room, she turned the corner and collided with someone else.

"I swear, if I walk into one more _thing_ I'm getting my eyes checked," she muttered, leaning down to help the person whose papers were strewn all over the floor. She raised her hand and rubbed it over her eyes, trying to relieve some of the tension. Sighing she said, "I'm sorry. Can I help you pick this up?"

She heard the guy laugh and looked up, her mouth forming a comical "O" at whom she saw. It was the kid from the elevator. "Help would be nice," he told her, smiling. Their eyes met and she nearly dropped the papers she had picked up. Meera diverted her eyes and concentrated on the task at hand.

"Sorry about that," she said again, distracting herself.

"Not entirely your fault." They gathered up all the papers and she handed her pile to him as they stood. "I wasn't completely paying attention, either."

"Well, that's somewhat of a relief." She smiled and began to walk around him. "I'm really sorry." She whispered once more before blurting out: "I have to go." Then she walked as calmly as possible back to the room.

Fry answered the door on the first knock, a half-excited half-worried look on her face. "Where have you been? We've been worried sick about you," she stated, pulling her into the room and shutting the door.

"Sorry, _mom_. I didn't know I had to check in with everyone," she snapped. Looking around, she noticed that Jack, Imam, and Fry were all showered and dressed in strange clothing that she had never seen before.

"Riddick was worried. What's wrong? I mean, are you OK?"

"I'm fine. I just need a shower." She met Fry's gaze and smiled apologetically, feeling bad for her outburst. "I'll take it in the other."

"OK, I'll...um...leave some clothes on one of the beds," the woman told her, in a low voice.

"Thanks." Meera gave her a half smile, then walked into the adjoining room and right to the bathroom. She locked the door after shutting it behind her and assessed the room in which she stood. A mirror hung on the wall above the sink, a tiny, knee-high toilet sat on the right of the sink, and on the left was a wide, full shower. Meera walked over and studied her reflection in the mirror.

Dirt was smudged on her cheeks, a few bruises were still healing, and dry blood spots were the only indication that she had ever been cut. And she was in a terrible amount of pain, her head pounded unbearably hard and she thought that she would retch at any second. She supposed, if he were still alive, Johns would be happy with what he had done, he would be proud. 

But he wasn't. She smiled wickedly, remembering how his head was bitten off by one of those creatures.

"I must have looked like a complete pauper to that kid," she told herself, not realizing the words even came out. Her reflection frowned back at her. "Like I'm supposed to care?"

Meera undid her holsters and placed them on the floor, cracking her back in the process. "Hell yeah," she said. "The dude was munch-able." She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. _Stop talking to yourself! And he wasn't cute._

She turned to her left and pushed the shower door aside, revealing the knobs to turn it on. After the water was turned on and to the temperature of her liking, she stripped out of her clothes and stepped under the hot spray. The temperature alone made her want to curl into a ball and fall asleep, and the water pressure soothed muscles she didn't even know ached.

__

He was so cute, the little annoying voice in her head taunted.

Before she knew it she was falling asleep, her head moving forward to lean against the shower wall, eyes drifting shut. Meera's left hand, moving under protest, slid along the wall and turned off the spray of water. She dried her body on the towel that hung on a rack to the side, and stepped out of the shower stall into the bathroom. She walked over and put on the bathrobe that hung on a peg on the back of the door. 

Grabbing her stuff, she unlocked the door and walked into the main bedroom. Just as Fry had promised, there was clothing lain out on the bed closest to the bathroom. Meera quickly changed into them and sat on the bed, leaving her torn clothing and bathrobe on the floor. She placed her weapons under the bed, except for one, which she hid under the pillow she would be resting her head on.

She crawled on top of the bed and lay down, stretching out. Within seconds she was asleep.

-----

Fry knocked on the connecting door and waited for an answer, but it never came. Feeling slightly nervous because of the fact that Meera hadn't been answering for a little over an hour, she just walked into the room without a second's hesitation. The girl was laying down on one of the beds, sleeping peacefully. Sleeping arrangements had not been made yet, but she was sure that Meera had found her spot.

"Everything all right?" A deep voice asked from behind her.

She jumped and turned to see Riddick standing there. "Yeah, no, everything's fine."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He walked around her, closing the door behind him. That left the two of them in one room, while Jack and Imam sat in the other. She did not know what she expected him to do, but he was making her nervous. "Imam is catching tomorrow's transport to New Mecca. So, we'll be one man short." She found herself speaking just to fill the silence.

"Really?"

"Yup. So, we only have about sleeping arrangements tonight. Tomorrow night we'll each have are our own bed." Deep down inside Fry was hoping he would let her and Jack sleep in the same room as Meera, while he and Imam took the other one.

"All right, we'll do girls in one, guys in the other." _Thank you-_ "There's something you should know." He said the words so suddenly she stopped her mental prayer.

"What's that?" she asked hesitantly.

"You asked me how Meera was different," he said, sitting on the free bed. "Well, she's different because...she's my sister."

Fry frowned and looked at the girl, who looked so peaceful sleeping, then back at the man in front of her. "Wow. That was unexpected." Now that he said something, they did look somewhat alike.

"Surprise." He stood and walked towards the bathroom. "I'm taking a shower."

"They brought us clothes for the night. I'll bring them in for you." She walked in the opposite direction as him.

"Thanks, you can leave them on the toilet."

Her hand froze on the keypad that opened the door. Quickly she hid the look of shock that crossed her face and turned to him. "I was just going to leave them on the bed."

"I'm not changing in front of her." He pointed to Meera and stared at Fry incredulously.

She sighed knowing he was right, the poor girl would probably be traumatized if she woke up to see him naked in the room. "Fine. Point taken, I'll bring them to you." She turned around again, slid her hand over the sensor and the door _swooshed_ opened. Tossing a quick glance at Jack and Imam, Fry grabbed clothing for Riddick and walked back into the other room.

The bathroom door was wide open, which defeated the purpose of bringing the clothing into that room. If Meera woke up she would see him in the shower instead of right in front of her. Shaking her head to keep quiet, she continued into the other room.

Of course Riddick was already showering when she walked in and Fry could make out an outline of his body through the obscure glass. He definitely had a nice body, all muscles. _And those arms_, she thought as he rubbed his hands over his head.

She shook her head clear to rid herself of any sexual thoughts. "Here's your clothes," she said, dropping them and turning to leave.

"What was that?" he asked, the clarity of his voice made her turn. He had opened the door to hear what she had said and was now giving her a full view of everything he had. Not that she would be complaining.

"I...um...um," she stuttered. Fry took a deep breath and tore her eyes away from his body, meeting his gaze. "Your clothes. I brought you your clothes."

He raised an eyebrow. "Thanks." She turned to leave, grateful for the chance to exit with some dignity. "Want to join me?" She stopped short, imagining climbing in there with him, all the things she would just love doing to that body.

"I'll pass." She forced out in an uninterested tone.

She continued walking, smiling slightly when he said, "Another time then."

Meera was sitting up on the bed when she walked out of the bathroom. "He's your brother?" Fry asked her in a hushed tone. The girl yawned and stretched, then nodded, looking around the room. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She rubbed her hand over her eyes and shrugged. "It slipped my mind. Sorry."

Sitting next to her on the bed, Fry cast the girl a worried glance. "Are you all right?"

"The brightness is killing my eyes," she was told. The girl squinted against the lights in the room and looked at her. "What time is it?"

"I believe it's nighttime on this ship. You've been asleep for an hour or so."

Meera rubbed her eyes and nodded. "And I'm going back to bed." With that she fell back against her pillow and pulled the extra one over her face, blocking out the light.

Fry continued to sit on the bed and study the girl, until Riddick walked out of the bathroom. He had opted not to wear the shirt she had given him, and the sight of his bare chest did nothing but remind her of seeing him in the shower.

"We have some things to talk about," he told her, sitting on the empty bed.

Standing from her spot on Meera's bed, Fry walked over to the empty chair that sat by the door. "OK, what do we need to talk about?"

He looked at her for a while before speaking. "Meera."

"Why do we need to talk about her?"

"So that you know the deal between the us."

"You mean besides the fact that you're brother and sister?" she retorted, imagining that what Johns had said earlier about the two was actually true. Had he and this girl actually done _things_? Riddick glared at her and she watched his face as he calmed his visible anger. She resolved not to use that tone again for quite some time.

"I killed my parents." The statement came out of nowhere and Fry nearly fell out of her seat. That was not exactly what she was expecting to hear. After taking a deep breath, he continued, "Meera and I are kind of going through this phase, right now, where...she's not talking to me."

Ignoring his latter statement, Fry asked, "Why would you kill your own parents?"

"When I was born, my parents wrapped my own umbilical cord around my neck and tossed me into a trash bin behind a liquor store." He scratched absently at the top of his right hand and looked over at his sister. "The owner heard me crying and saved my life, he...became my father, raised me, put me to work, and set me on a straight path." Riddick tilted his head to the left and she heard it let out a sickening serious of pops. "When I was twelve they came into the store, my mother, real mother, was pregnant and happy. I, um, I watched them walk the isles, knowing that they were my parents-"

"How?" she asked, confused.

"My foster father had pointed them out, he knew exactly who had dumped me. So for the next couple of years I watched them. They were completely happy with their new child, they were completely happy with Meera, but not exactly. See Meera became an ornament to them, she was something they showed off to their friends and colleagues. She wasn't allowed to have a life, nothing." He tilted his head in the opposite direction, his neck making the same sounds as before. "When I was eighteen I went to see them, confront them. My real father said that it was a lie, said I was only saying this because I wanted money. They had no money." She heard him laugh sardonically at the last comment.

"So what happened then?"

"How can you deny that someone is your child, when they look exactly like you? If someone is a mirror image of you, how can you say that their not your?"

He seemed to be talking to himself, but she answered anyway, giving him the support he needed to go on. "I guess, sometimes, people just don't want to live with the truth. Maybe knowing that you survived that night made him feel guilty, but by saying you weren't his took away that guilt." This was not the same Riddick that had helped them all survive on that planet, this Riddick actually felt, he cared, he had _a sister_.

Obviously feeling a little better, he continued, "Anyway, after that he proceeded to call me trash and, well let's just say, some of the things they said...were not exactly nice."

"So you killed them?"

"I acted in self-defense. That man pulled a knife on me. I got slashed twice in the ribs before I was able to turn the knife on him. My mother? She, uh, she walked right onto the blade. I hadn't meant to kill her, but she...she walked right onto that blade." He looked up at her, his shined eyes seemed a little more glassy than usual. "As she was dying she pulled me onto the floor with her. Um...she, uh, she apologized for missing out on the last eighteen years of my life. She said that my father had told her that I was dead, and it was for the best."

"She didn't know?" she asked incredulously. How could someone not know that a child was alive when it left her body, a baby would cry. She had to have heard the crying.

"I guess not, but we both made our peace for that. Meera walked in after our mother had died. She didn't know who I was or why I was there," he swallowed hard, "so I told her to leave. She left and that was the last time I saw her. Up until about four years ago, but by then I had broken out of the Orion and had to hide in the shadows and shit. So the next time we actually came face to face was when Johns caught us."

"And you told her you're her brother?"

"Right before she ran out before. It's been pretty hard."

Fry ran a hand through her hair. "I can imagine." This was definitely a different Riddick, she knew as she watched him wipe away unbidden tears. He looked up at her and she pretended not to have seen them.

"I'll send Jack in," he said, standing up and walking to the door.

Jack walked in a few seconds later with a smile on her face. She sat down on the bed that Riddick had just vacated and sighed. "Riddick talked to _me_."

Fry shook her head at the girl's statement and stood. "We're sharing the bed for the night."

"OK." They settled in and went to sleep.

* * *

Read and review please.

Thanx.

~Litl A~


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